The Parties’ housing policy commitments 2015

In light of the generally accepted housing shortage currently facing the UK, housing is arguably a more important political issue that it has been for decades. It is however not yet clear how important an electoral issue it will be.

Although the parties have not yet published their election manifestos setting out their priorities on housing, all have made a number of public statements and commitments, which this note has collated.

The note looks at public commitments from the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green Party.

Non-English parties have voted and expressed clear opinions on a number of housing issues – for example SNP, Plaid Cymru, DUP, SDLP and Alliance opposition to the under-occupation deduction from Housing Benefit – and this could conceivably impact on future coalition negotiations. As housing is a devolved policy matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this note only considers policy commitments from the parties listed above.

This note is also intended as a collation of public statements, not as detailed policy analysis. Where costs of implementing a policy or savings from repealing a policy are included, these are figures provided by the parties themselves.