Tuesday 14 July 2026 4:44 am  |  Updated:  Monday 13 July 2026 3:32 pm

Why does Britain treat housebuilding as one big burden?

By: Brandon Lewis

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Housebuilding is one of Britain’s most obvious economic opportunities, yet government and citizens alike seem to see it only as a burden, writes Brandon Lewis

There is a peculiar British habit of treating housing as a social problem to be managed rather than an economic opportunity to be seized. For too long, successive governments have shunned the potential for the planning system to build the foundations, quite literally, of future prosperity. That has to change, and bringing first-time buyers into the market through a concentrated effort could deliver one of the most powerful economic boosts available to any government, without a penny of additional borrowing.

The numbers tell their own story. A structural housing shortfall estimated to be over 4m homes, fewer houses per capita built than any comparable European economy, and a market fuelled by surging........

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