Lord Best calls for the 2024 UK Housing Review to inform all housing policy decisions

A launch event for the publication of the annual UK housing ‘bible’ – the 2024 UK Housing Review - was held at the House of Lords today. Lord Richard Best, the host of the event, urged all political parties to engage and utilise the publication saying:

"Every year the UK Housing Review brings us all up to speed with the hard evidence and clear analysis that should - but seldom does - inform all housing policy decisions.

“The Review shows us where we have come from and points us to where we are heading. This is invaluable at any time but especially now when the Political Parties are busy writing their manifestos.”

The Review, in its 32nd year, brings together the most important housing statistics from across the UK. The commentary and contemporary issues chapters feature a wealth of in-depth analysis, helping to paint a clear picture of housing across the UK supported by over 200 charts and tables of statistical analysis.

Contemporary issues covered in the 2024 edition include a new assessment of housing need in England and options for meeting it by, a review of ethnic inequalities and how housing policy is failing to address them, an analysis of the effects of the UK housing system on recent migrants, and a ‘long view’ of the housing benefit system, how it developed and the policy issues raised.

Attendees at the event were treat to an overview of some of the chapters from Review authors including Glen Bramley discussing his chapter on a new assessment of housing need in England and options for meeting it, saying:

"Can we afford to build 80-90,000 social rented homes each year? Yes, with rigorous, consistent application of the established planning obligations system, most of that can be paid for from the surpluses generated from market development."

Other guest speakers included Jasmine Basran and Mushtaq Khan alongside Review authors Peter Williams and Mark Stephens. At the event Mark Stephens, Mactaggart Professor of Land, Property & Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow and the Review’s editor, commented:

“It is 20 years since government had a strategic view of housing policy, and this failure is clearly reflected in the ridiculously high turnover of housing ministers. We hope the Review will be used to take a step back and to rethink housing policy to tackle the current crisis.”

CIH chief executive Gavin Smart further added to this, saying :

“This year’s UK Housing Review is published at a crucial time: never has the need for more housing investment and a strategic approach to housing policy been as great. I urge all political parties to engage with the wealth of information and analysis available in the UK Housing Review series.”

The UK Housing Review series is published by CIH and the University of Glasgow and is available to buy via the CIH website at https://www.cih.org/bookshop with the exception of CIH members who receive it free of charge as a member benefit.

Publication of the Review relies on sponsorship and grants from a range of government bodies and housing organisations. The 2024 UK Housing Review has been made possible with the financial support of Aico, Campbell Tickell, Clarion, Crisis, Grand Union Housing Group, Guinness Partnership, the Housing Studies Charitable Trust, LiveWest, London & Quadrant, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Paradigm Housing, Places for People, the Scottish Government, Settle Group, Sovereign, The Housing Finance Corporation, and the Welsh Government.