Build the homes we need

Housing is the most visible form of intergenerational unfairness in the UK today. While older generations were able to buy houses when prices were low and have seen those values explode, today’s younger generations face house prices of more than 12 times average incomes in London and over 7 times average incomes outside London. It is now much more difficult for younger generations to buy a home of their own. Successive governments have poured petrol on the housing market with policies such as Help to Buy and Stamp Duty holidays over-stimulating demand for housing without addressing the underlying need to supply more new homes.

Our latest research explains the housing crisis on a local authority level to both buy and rent. Previous IF research found that the countryside is also ageing much faster than towns and cities setting up a social-economic time bomb as our population ages in the wrong places.

We have simply not built enough new homes of all types or replace those lost through Right to Buy or to satisfy current demand. So it is time to embrace a major housebuilding programme to increase supply and address intergenerational spatial inequality. That’s why we welcome:

  • New targets to build 1.6 million new homes
  • New targets for the delivery of truly affordable social-rented homes
  • Greater protection for renters via the Renters’ Rights Bill
  • The abolish of Section 21 and ground rents
  • Building on low value areas of the greenbelt.

Please share this campaign and write to your MP to ask them to support it.

Write to your MP

Please use the template text below and visit writetothem.com to find your MP. Follow the instructions from there.

I am a local resident writing to you in support of the Intergenerational Foundation’s campaign to Build the Homes we need for younger generations.

Right now in the UK, there is massive housing inequality by age. The most effective way to give younger people today, and in years to come, the same access to homeownership enjoyed by previous generations, is to build millions of new homes. I am calling on you to use your platform as a new Member of Parliament to champion new housebuilding by supporting:

  • Building on low value areas of the green belt
  • Building new truly affordable social-rented homes
  • Legislation to better protect renters’ rights via the Renters’ Rights Bill
  • Legislation on leasehold reform
  • Legislation on ground rent reform

Please refer to the Intergenerational Foundation’s research on housing inequality on a local authority level and get in touch with [email protected] for more information.

Yours sincerely,

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