Support councils to build next generation housing, RIBA says

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on the UK government to end the housing crisis by giving support and resource to local authorities to deliver the next generation of council housing across England.

In a report, ‘Homes for all: Putting council housing at the heart of local recovery’, the RIBA advocates urgent investment in social housing. Following a detailed analysis of public sector and independent data, the RIBA has concluded that not only would this provide high-quality, safe and sustainable homes for those in need, it would also generate a huge jobs boost across the country.

Download the report from the RIBA website

In a separate publication, the RIBA has also warned that changes in behaviour brought about by the coronavirus pandemic will turbocharge the UK housing emissions crisis without urgent government action.

The surge in working from home caused by the coronavirus pandemic is expected to generate a shift in the balance of what contributes to emissions across the economy, with a dramatic increase in the proportion of total emissions that come from housing stock.

The UK has one of the most inefficient housing stocks in Europe, and the RIBA’s report, entitled ‘Greener Homes’, urges the government to make UK homes more energy efficient by bringing forward a National Retrofit Strategy.

Read this report in full.