Northern Powerhouse needs homes at its heart

Housebuilding is flatlining in the North of England, as new research reveals that every city region in the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ has seen a fall in housebuilding over the past decade compared to the 1980’s.

Analysis by Policy Exchange for the launch of a new campaign group, Homes for the North, highlights that in the 1980s, twice as many of England’s homes were built in the north compared to London (16% compared to 8%).

The research compares annual housing completions across northern city regions and London. It finds:

• In the 1980s, an average of just over 15,200 homes were built every year in London, nearly half the number that were built across the north (29,163).
• In the past decade London build rates have averaged 19,500 a year, a 28% increase. Conversely, housebuilding has dropped on average by 28% in northern cities in the same period compared to build rates of 35 years ago.

Housing Minister, Brandon Lewis MP, will this week speak at the launch of Homes for the North, an alliance of twenty of the largest housing associations in the north who have joined forces to raise their voices and make the case for more and better homes in their regions.

Chair of Homes for the North, Mark Henderson, explains why it’s time for the north to be heard;

“For the Northern Powerhouse to become a reality we need more good quality homes to support and attract a modern, growing workforce.

Our research shows how northern city regions have struggled to keep up with the same level of housebuilding as in the 1980s. This is in stark contrast to London which has seen a surge in its population over the past 30 years.

However it is far from doom and gloom in the north. In fact the devolution agenda offers northern towns and cities a great opportunity to attract new investment, jobs and people. As more people flock to our great northern regions, demand for homes of all tenures will increase. Homes for the North will be at the heart of making this a reality.”

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