Housing Secretary Michael Gove has promised the government will build at least 30,000 new social homes a year to tackle the housing crisis, and says it is "indefensible" working people are having to live in vans, caravans, and hostels.
In an exclusive interview with ITV News, Mr Gove put forward the number of social homes he wants built, and said the government would "step up" its plans before the next general election.
Housing charities, including Shelter, estimate 90,000 new social homes are needed each year in England to meet demand. There are more than 1 million households on social housing waiting lists.
But as ITV News investigations correspondent Dan Hewitt points out – the government’s own data shows 7,644 social homes were built in England in 2021/22, while 24,932 were sold under Right to Buy and 2,757 were demolished.
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