Shelter

New analysis suggests that £1.8 billion would have been cut from the housing benefit bill had the government built 100,000 social rent homes in each of the past 20 years.

A call has been issued today (8 January) for the government to build 3.1 million new homes over a 20-year period. The programme would extend the offer of social housing to more people.

The prime minister has announced that the government is scrapping the cap on local authority borrowing to fund new housing development.

Research by the housing charity Shelter indicates that the cost of renting has increased 60 per cent faster than average wages across England.