Recommendation 30

MHCLG has suggested that a significant ramping-up in affordable housing supply, beyond individual strategic sites, would be needed to make a substantial impact on homelessness, requiring new supply in areas where homelessness pressures are particularly acute, including the South East, South West and London. However, it has also conceded that recent economic changes–including inflation, a tight labour market and material shortages–have posed a major risk to the successful delivery of new homes. This is evident in the fact that Homes England, which is sponsored by MHCLG, fell below its central targets in 2022–23 in terms of new home starts, completions, unlocked housing capacity and households supported into home ownership. When compared with 2022–23, the overall number of starts it achieved in 2023–24 fell by 4%, while the number of completions fell by 3%.43