Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner further outlined the government’s plans for homeowners, homebuyers and landlords in her speech at the 2024 Labor Party Conference.
She said fourteen years of Tory chaos has left its mark not only on people’s jobs but also on their homes.
“Not enough is being built. The Tories have failed to achieve their objectives year after year after year. Michael Gove has returned almost £2 billion of unused housing funds to the Treasury. Mortgages have skyrocketed. Tenants are at the mercy of eye-watering charges. Tenants face crippling rent increases in damp and moldy homes. Homelessness is all around us.
“The simple pursuit of a safe, secure and affordable home is further out of our reach than ever and this cannot continue any longer. So change must start at home.
She promised that the new government would push Britain to build, and in particular to build decent homes for working people.
“A new planning framework will open the door to affordable housing and deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation.
And conference: Our tenant bill will rebalance the tenant-landlord relationship and end no-fault evictions – for good.”
Rayner said the government’s long-term plan would free tenant farmers from the tyranny of a medieval system. And an intergovernmental taskforce would put Britain back on track to ending homelessness.
“Whether you are a leaseholder, tenant, home buyer or without a place to live: this government is on your side. But my mission is not just to build houses, it is to build houses. Because we cannot build at any price. These new homes must be warm, safe and above all safe.”
Rayner promised that this Labor government would take action to ensure all homes are decent and safe, and that residents are treated with the respect they deserve.
“Many housing associations, councils and landlords are doing well for their tenants and I know how difficult it has been for them after fourteen years under the Tories. That’s why I’m going to work with the sector to bring about change. I will tackle damp and moldy homes by introducing Awaab’s law in the social housing sector this autumn and we will also extend it to the private rental sector.
“We will consult and implement a new Decent Homes Standard for social and private rented homes, to end the scandal of homes being unfit to live in.
She also spoke about the benefits of decentralized power and local initiatives. “Labor mayors have shown what is possible when Labor is in power. And that is why I am giving mayors more powers in the field of housing construction and planning, but also in the field of transport and skills.” She added: “A new White Paper will map out how we will move power away from Whitehall.”