NHF response to the King's Speech 2024

In response to the King's Speech today, Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said:

Today’s King’s Speech sets out some important and welcome first steps towards tackling the housing crisis and increasing the delivery of desperately needed affordable and social homes.

We look forward to working closely with the government to ensure that a revitalised planning system delivers the number and types of affordable homes the country needs. We’re also pleased to see the government commit to abolishing Section 21 no fault evictions to provide private renters with greater security and protect those on low incomes from the risk of homelessness.

With the housing crisis effecting people right across the country, we fully support the government’s ambition of building 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament, but this will not be possible through planning reform alone and will need to be met with the right funding. We will continue to make the case for these changes to form part of a nationally coordinated and fully funded long-term plan for housing which places social housing at its core. Housing associations stand ready to support the government on this to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.