Liberal Democrats, Green Party & Reform – General Election 2024 Housing Policies

They include plans for the economy, immigration, social care, taxes, and so much more.

But the one thing that we’re keen to look at is each party’s housing policies. The Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and Reform UK are all attempting to gain seats from the two main parties, Labour and the Conservatives, and their manifestos are directly aimed at grabbing voters from each party.

So, what are their housing policies and how do each of the three ‘other’ parties compare? Let’s find out.

The Green Party Housing Policies

The Green Party believes that “everyone needs a warm, secure and affordable home”, and that is the basis of their housing policies.

As part of their manifesto, The Green Party wants local authorities and national government to work together to deliver homes that people can afford to rent or buy, and in locations where people need them.

Their ‘Our Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter’ aims to “protect valuable green space for communities, reduce climate emissions, tackle fuel poverty and provide genuinely affordable housing.” 

To achieve this, it would require:

• Local authorities to spread small developments across their areas.
• All new developments are to be accompanied by the extra investment needed in local health, transport, and other services.
• All new homes must meet Passivhaus or equivalent standards and house builders should include solar panels and heat pumps on all new homes, where appropriate.

The Green Party also pledges to build 150,000 new social homes every year with new builds and the refurbishment of older housing. Additionally, Tthey would also offer a community right to buy for local authorities and would end the individual right to buy to keep social homes for local communities in perpetuity.

Bringing energy bills down is another big focus for The Green Party. Their plan to achieve this is to invest:

• 29bn over the next five years to insulate homes to an EPC B standard or above as part of a ten-year programme.
• £4bn over the next five years to insulate other buildings to a high standard.
• £9bn over the next five years for low-carbon heating systems (e.g. heat pumps) for homes and other buildings.

Unaffordable rent is another target for The Green Party. Their manifesto/focus includes:

• Rent controls so local authorities can control rents if the rental market is unaffordable for local people.
• A new stable rental tenancy and an end to no-fault evictions, so tenants are secure in their homes and don’t have their lives , turned upside down on the whim of their landlords.
• They will also introduce a tenant’s right to demand energy efficiency improvements.
• Private residential tenancy boards provide a cheap forum for resolving disputes before they reach a tribunal.

Reform UK Housing Policies

Reform UK believes that not enough homes have been built. They state that over the past two years, the UK’s population has grown by 1.3 million with only 425,000 new homes built.

They claim that mass immigration is the reason why housing is at a premium, and their plans for their first 100 days in power – should they win the General Election – are:

• Reviewing the Planning System – Fast track planning and tax incentives for brownfield development, unused offices and vacant high street properties.
• Reviewing system of Section 106 Developer Contributions for infrastructure such as schools and surgeries to accelerate house building.
• Reforming Social Housing Law – Prioritise local people. Foreign nationals must not be prioritised over locals.
• Scrapping the 2019 tax changes for landlords.
• Abolishing the Renters’ (Reform) Bill.

Liberal Democrats Housing Policies

Finally, the Liberal Democrats, who formed a coalition with the Conservatives in 2010, are aiming for more seats in parliament this year. They’re committed to tackling the housing issues in the UK and they believe that too many homes are built as leaseholds with large bills.

The Liberal Democrats want to tackle homelessness and are keen to give power back to local authorities to build the “kind of homes needed in their areas”.

Their plans for solving the housing crisis in the UK are:

• Increasing the building of new homes to 380,000 a year across the UK, including 150,000 social homes a year, through new garden cities and community-led development of cities and towns.
• Delivering a fair deal for renters by immediately banning no-fault evictions, making three-year tenancies the default, and creating a national register of licensed landlords.
• Giving local authorities, including National Park Authorities, the power to end the Right to Buy in their areas.
• Ending rough sleeping and immediately scrapping the archaic Vagrancy Act.
• Abolishing residential leaseholds and capping ground rents to a nominal fee, so that everyone has control over their property.

Summary

So, now we know exactly what the policies are, in terms of housing, for the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Reform.

While the latter has pledged a large amount of funding to resolve issues with energy costs, the Lib Dems are keen to abolish leaseholds and give power back to local authorities.

It’s clear that there are housing issues in the UK at present and it’s comforting to see the main parties keen to amend them.

Who will you decide to vote for based on their housing policies?

If you have any questions about housing warranties and the type of insurance policies we can provide at ABC+ Warranty, don’t hesitate to contact us today.