Housebuilding at 12-year low

Housebuilding in England has reached a 12-year low, with only 30,880 homes completed in the third quarter 2025, a decrease from 34,000 in the same period the previous year. In the 15 months since Labour took office in July 2024, only 175,290 homes were completed. Housing Secretary Steve Reed has insisted the government will reach its 1.5m new homes target, citing new planning reforms aimed at boosting construction. But Steve Turner, of Home Builders Federation, said: "Homebuilding faces significant constraints limiting its ability to deliver. Government must address the lack of affordable mortgage lending preventing many, particularly young people, getting onto the housing ladder." 

The Daily Telegraph (18/02/2026)