Michael Gove pledges 30,000 new social homes per year to tackle 'indefensible' housing crisis

Watch Michael Gove's full interview with ITV News Investigations Correspondent Daniel Hewitt, where he outlines the government's plans to tackle the UK housing crisis

Housing Secretary Michael Gove says the government will build at least 30,000 new social homes a year to tackle the housing crisis, and says it is "indefensible" working people are having to live in vans, caravans, and hostels. 

In an exclusive interview with ITV News, it is the first time Mr Gove has put a number of the amount of social housing he wants built and said the government would "step up" its plans before the next general election.

Housing charities including Shelter estimate 90,000 new social homes are needed each year in England to meet demand. There are more than 1 million households on social housing waiting lists.

Government data shows 7,644 social homes were built in England in 2021/22, while 24,932 were sold under Right to Buy and 2,757 were demolished.

Michael Gove's comments come as a new housing bill is expected to become law, giving more power to the social housing regulator. ITV News Investigations Correspondent Daniel Hewitt reports

“We have a £11.5 billion programme, the Affordable Homes Programme - within that programme I have specifically insisted that we renegotiated and that we have more money being spent explicitly for homes for social rent,” said Michael Gove. 

"Tens of thousands of new homes for social rent will be built as a direct result of the way we have reprofiled that spending.

“I would like to see 30,000 new social homes being built at least every year. We need to step up, we have one more year until we have General Election and we need to see a significant increase in the run up to the election and I want to see numbers increase after that.”

The Housing Secretary was speaking to me ahead of the Social Housing Regulation Bill being given Royal Assent and becoming law in the coming days, perhaps as early as Thursday.

The Bill comes after a two and half-year investigation by ITV News into the appalling state of some social housing in England, and the lack of regulation and protection for tenants. 

Housing associations and councils will now be subject to greater scrutiny and accountability for poor conditions, with more powers given to the Social Housing Regulator to hand out unlimited fines, carry out inspections with just 48 hours' notice and order emergency repairs.

 The bill also includes a clause known as Awaab's Law - dedicated to two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in a mould-infested housing association flat in Rochdale. Awaab's Law will place a strict time limit on social landlords to carry out repairs.

“I think it will make a big difference because we are putting those who are responsible for looking after tenants in social housing on notice. Ever since I arrived in this job it has been clear to me that we have to do better by those who live in social housing.

“This bill marks a significant change, it gives the Regulator real teeth and of course, as we both know, the tragic death of Awaab Ishak has influenced the debate in what I believe is a powerful way, it has influenced the debate for good to make sure tenants have stronger rights and stronger protections.”

Michael Gove said the government does take responsibility for the squalid conditions ITV News has found tenants living in, being ignored by their landlord.

“Yes, completely. It is a shared responsibility, but I don’t think we can shuffle off responsibility for central government’s role, as well. We do need to make sure funding gets to front line and make sure there is an effective approach to regulation.”

The bill comes into force as the housing crisis in England worsens by the week. The price of private rents continues to rise, more than 100,000 households are now in temporary accommodation - the highest since 2005 - and in-work homelessness is up 8.1%.

“Across the western world we have a housing crisis, whether it’s in the Republic of Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands…but it’s unconscionable, it’s indefensible, to have people who are working and living in these conditions that you and others have shown.

“Broadly, one of the challenges we have is to make sure we have more homes of every kind.

“The message right now is we understand the problems that people face, we want to bring inflation down and half inflation because that’s the most immediate thing we need to do but we also have a long term plan for housing.”

The Guardian reported last week Michael Gove's Department had handed back £1.9 billion of funding to the Treasury after failing to spend it on housing projects.

Mr Gove told ITV News the money would be "reprofiled into future years" and insisted “100%” that the Department would get that money back from the Treasury. 

"Because of the inflationary environment at the moment, there are constraints to our ability, on anyone's ability, to build at the moment.

"What we need to make sure is that we have a sustainable, long-term housing plan for housing and that money will be spent in future years."

A number for current and former cabinet ministers have announced their standing down at the next General Election, but Mr Gove insisted he will stand again to be an MP in his Surrey Heath constituency.

When asked if he would run again to be leader of the Conservative party, he said “No.” 

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