A decent place to live: homes fit for key workers
The report concludes that the UK’s housing crisis, driven by decades of under‑investment, rising rents, stagnant wages, and poor‑quality homes, has left key workers unable to access secure, affordable housing near their jobs. Local authorities are central to fixing this, but they lack the powers, funding, and tools needed to build at scale.
The report argues that only a major national programme of council‑led housebuilding, combined with stronger planning powers, welfare reform, and higher standards, can reverse the crisis and ensure workers have decent homes.
Key recommendations:
Major investment in a new generation of council housing at scale.
Embed green construction and skills in all new council‑led building.
Adopt the recommended Healthy Homes Act to guarantee quality, space and safety standards.
Re‑empower councils with stronger planning powers and end damaging deregulation.
Expand and test living rent models to link rents to local earnings.
Restore the link between Local Housing Allowance, housing benefit and real rents.
Allow local moratoriums on ‘Right to Buy’ to protect and rebuild social housing stock.