A Year of Talk – But Where Are The Houses?

Despite the government pledging to make house building a priority, there is little sign Labour can deliver on their housing ‘ambitions according to new analysis from the Centre for Policy Studies.

2025 was a record breaking year for discussion, with figures showing ‘planning reform’ was mentioned a record-breaking 520 times in parliament. However, on numerous metrics, the reality is not measuring up to the talk.

In 2024/25, every region in England started fewer homes than in the previous financial year. This slowdown was especially dramatic in London, which saw only 4,170 new homes starting construction last financial year, a 72% fall over the previous year.

Every year since 1946, London has completed more than 10,000 homes. But given the dreadfully low numbers for housing starts, the consultancy Molior predicts that only 4,550 homes a year will complete construction in both 2027 and 2028. London hasn’t built so few homes in over 80 years. The Centre for Policy Studies warns that London housebuilding faces its largest challenge since the Second World War.

Housing starts are down across all tenure types in the capital. London local authorities started construction on a mere 90 homes last financial year, a fall of 95% from the previous year. Housing association starts in London are similarly down by 78%.

To see what this means for your local region, use our new interactive data tool here.