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A road map to a coherent housing policy
The actions needed to solve the housing crisis
At Family Building Society, we take a keen interest in the overall nature of the housing market.
We work closely with the London School of Economics and have commissioned a series of independent reports exploring the contradictions and perverse incentives inherent in the current policy framework, and put forward a set of suggestions for a more coherent, strategic approach.
A road map to a coherent housing policy 2 (July 2025)
Our latest report by Christine Whitehead (LSE London), Tony Crook (University of Sheffield) and Kelvin MacDonald (University of Cambridge) cuts through the complexity of housing policy with clear analysis and practical policy action.
The Labour government’s current housing policy has put almost all the emphasis on new build, committing to 1.5 million new homes during its first term. Yet, even when the National Planning Policy Framework is fully in place, it is unlikely that anything like 300,000 per annum will be added to overall housing supply at least during their first term.
With a foreword from the Rt Hon Vince Cable, the authors suggest three quick wins:
- Exempt older households from stamp duty land tax, so they can better afford to move to more suitable housing, leaving more family homes available for families
- Tax second homes and short term lets to bring more homes back into mainstream use
- Treat private landlords like other businesses resulting in more reasonable standard rental housing to accommodate those who cannot currently afford to live separately.
Cable comments that despite the Government proclaiming housing is an urgent priority, there are many 'top' priorities and frustrations arise due to the differences in interest between owner occupiers, mortgagees, renters, private and social landlords, the Exchequer and local councils.
"As someone who represented, for 20 years, a relatively prosperous London suburb I was all too aware of these frustrations, especially amongst young people unable to afford to buy or rent in the area, near their place of work or extended families. I was also aware of strong resistance to new private or social housing due to often legitimate concerns about protecting public open space and shared amenity. How to reconcile these concerns?"
Family Building Society CEO Mark Bogard adds;
"The Government has put great store in housing as a key engine for the growth so very badly needed in the UK economy and to support their spending objectives. But we have not yet seen a coherent policy. Government has focused on new build; and, as this report highlights, this is 1% of what is at stake each year. Optimising the use of the other 99%, the existing stock, matters more.
While we clearly need all the new homes we can get, improving the use of the existing stock has more immediate potential to improve housing conditions for more households. The report discuss a range of possibilities to help with this.
Download the latest report here
For any press queries, please contact:
Jonathan Haslam jh@haslamedia.com or
Allan Noel-Baker
anoelbaker@btinternet.com
Housing Policy and Delivery Oversight Committee
Alongside our latest report, we're very pleased to announce the launch of a committee for Housing Policy and Delivery Oversight.
This new independent committee, supported by Family Building Society, has been formed to monitor and help government progress on mending the UK’s housing crisis. The committee will monitor progress and offer constructive analysis and policy suggestions on housing delivery. As well as broadening the debate from the Government’s disproportionate focus on new build, the committee may also consider other options such as better utilisation of existing buildings.
It is the first time that experts across every critical aspect of housing policy, from design, planning, financing to building have been brought together to monitor the Government's performance.
- Mark Bogard, Chief Executive of the Family Building Society
- Neil Jefferson, CEO of the Home Builders Federation
- Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research
- Ingrid Schroder, Director of the Architectural Association School of Architecture
- Professor Tony Travers, a director of the LSE London
- Luke Murphy, Labour MP for Basingstoke
- The Rt Hon Damian Green, Chair, Social Care Foundation.
Academic expertise and support is provided by Professor Christine Whitehead of the LSE and Kelvin McDonald, Director of Studies in Land Economy at Christ's College, Cambridge.
Sir Vince Cable commented:
The Government has - rightly - put housing at the heart of its growth and social policy agenda. Our committee will endeavour to give a fair and informed assessment of its progress."
Mark Bogard, Chief Executive of the Family Building Society added:
“Housing really matters to everyone, every night when they go to bed. But housing policy has been a shambles for at least 50 years. Judging how politicians, councillors and civil servants are doing, marking their homework, matters to people. It impacts how they perform. We have a statutory Climate Change Committee. We have an Office of Budget Responsibility. Housing matters just as much. So, we’ve set one up – hopefully, in time, fairly quickly, Parliament will set up a statutory one.
Meanwhile, it is absolutely clear that the time has come for a coherent, long term housing policy. Successive governments have systematically failed to deliver a strategy that works. Everyone knows it. This committee aims to help remedy this by monitoring the almost weekly announcements on housing are aligned and work for the benefit of all. Our committee will highlight the good, the bad and the ugly of government housing policy and its delivery. After so many years of undelivered promises and failures, our country deserves a housing policy that actually works!”
The committee will meet around every six months, beginning in July, to assess progress and issue a report. It may also commission occasional papers on housing related matters.
The aim of the committee and terms of reference:
- To review the Government’s evolving housing and planning policy announcements, actions and consequences in as far as they relate to an ‘integrated housing policy’
- To monitor actions and policies of wider housing stakeholders (housebuilders, lenders, BoE, Landlords etc) that have a direct effect on the delivery of an integrated housing policy that covers both new and existing housing stock
- To provide informed and authoritative commentary on housing policy issues as they evolve
- To commission where necessary independent reports to explore in more detail subject areas relevant to the above that provide helpful and informative commentary on ensuring the Government delivers on its ambitions.
For any press queries, please contact Jonathan Haslam at jh@haslamedia.com or Allan Noel-Baker at anoelbaker@btinternet.com
Previous reports we have commissioned from the London School of Economics
A road map to a coherent housing policy
(January 2024)
'A road map to a coherent housing policy' with forewords by Lord Heseltine and Lord Mandelson, called on politicians, key national and local government departments, as well as the Bank of England, to cooperate on solving the UK’s current housing crisis.
'A road map to a coherent housing policy' noted that there has been a seemingly unending stream of reports, over decades, saying that the housing system is broken. These usually stress a particular problem, often new build, and advocate a solution which would actually change, very little. Without an integrated strategy covering housing as a whole which includes providing housing of a safe and acceptable standard, individual policy solutions are likely to bring very limited success.
Achieving a more coherent and consistent approach to housing policy
(June 2023)
'Achieving a more coherent and consistent approach to housing policy', set out starkly the failure to create an integrated housing policy or to learn the lessons from earlier attempts from major housing reviews since the 1970s. This follows on from our ‘Why is housing policy such a mess?’
This expanded and detailed report highlighted;
- There are too many decision makers
- Housing policy is not fit for purpose
- The right number of homes in the right locations are not being built.