Our vision
Housing
Policies in this section only affect England unless specified
There is an urgent need for new houses in the UK with high levels of homelessness and unaffordable housing. We believe the government needs to focus on increasing the number of houses available and fight against rising levels of homelessness.
Build more houses
Pushkin explains why the UK needs to build more homes and how we can do this by simplifying the planning system.
Priorities
Increase Housing Availability and Affordability
We aim to expand housing through strategic zoning, allowing for designated residential and mixed-use areas, and propose replacing the "Right to Buy" scheme with a system that reinvests in council housing and expanding the Help to Buy programme to include older properties needing repair, ensuring more people can afford homes.
Combat Homelessness
By advocating for Finland’s ‘Housing First’ model, we will prioritise providing permanent housing for the homeless, supported by services for education and addiction treatment. We would plan to expand the existing Housing First programmes in Northern Ireland and ensure new housing developments include the necessary infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, to support growing communities.
Promote Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Homes
We advocate for the development of garden cities, integrating natural spaces into housing to reduce overcrowding. New homes will meet new standards for energy efficiency, supported by clear funding policies. We will link rent increases to energy efficiency improvements and offer income tax relief to landlords who enhance their properties, promoting sustainability and reducing costs for tenants.
Enhance Renters’ Rights and Protections
We are advocating for a housing watchdog to ensure fair practices and compliance with collective bargaining agreements between landlords and tenants. We will facilitate transparent rent negotiations and empower local authorities to regulate holiday lets. Other protections will include renters having extended eviction protection and the first right to purchase if landlords sell. Additionally, we will expand deposit protection schemes to include all tenants and create a tenant protection fund to support renters' rights.
Increase Housing Availability and Affordability
We aim to expand housing through strategic zoning, allowing for designated residential and mixed-use areas, and propose replacing the "Right to Buy" scheme with a system that reinvests in council housing and expanding the Help to Buy programme to include older properties needing repair, ensuring more people can afford homes.
Combat Homelessness
By advocating for Finland’s ‘Housing First’ model, we will prioritise providing permanent housing for the homeless, supported by services for education and addiction treatment. We would plan to expand the existing Housing First programmes in Northern Ireland and ensure new housing developments include the necessary infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, to support growing communities.
Promote Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Homes
We advocate for the development of garden cities, integrating natural spaces into housing to reduce overcrowding. New homes will meet new standards for energy efficiency, supported by clear funding policies. We will link rent increases to energy efficiency improvements and offer income tax relief to landlords who enhance their properties, promoting sustainability and reducing costs for tenants.
Enhance Renters’ Rights and Protections
We are advocating for a housing watchdog to ensure fair practices and compliance with collective bargaining agreements between landlords and tenants. We will facilitate transparent rent negotiations and empower local authorities to regulate holiday lets. Other protections will include renters having extended eviction protection and the first right to purchase if landlords sell. Additionally, we will expand deposit protection schemes to include all tenants and create a tenant protection fund to support renters' rights.
Policies
New houses should have proper insulation
This would require new houses to follow passive-house standards which means houses are insulated to keep them at a stable temperature. This both makes houses more energy efficient and reduces heating bills.
Support new garden cities
Alongside new houses being built in existing towns, cities and villages, new settlements should be garden cities. These give residents more natural space and reduce the overcrowding of houses. Garden cities should be built on greenfield sites to ensure this land is used effectively whilst allowing some of the area to grow back to its natural state.
For any housing built, there needs to be sufficient infrastructure
For new houses to be built, first there must be the infrastructure to support the people moving in. This means that if there aren’t enough school places, hospital beds or other public services in place, new infrastructure must be built to ensure existing residents don’t see their access to services decrease as a result of extra housing.
Copy Finland’s ‘housing first’ scheme
This should be based on Finland’s success in tackling the number of homeless people on its streets. The UK’s current model relies on temporary accommodation and essentially taking steps towards getting a new house. We would copy Finland’s ‘Housing First’ scheme which instead focuses on getting people a house as soon as possible rather than just temporary accommodation. This would be backed up by support workers, a focus on lifelong education and addiction treatment so people leaving homelessness don’t return to being homeless. We also support expanding the existing housing first system by the Housing Executives Supporting People program in Northern Ireland.
A zoning system
A zoning system would split land up into separate areas called zones in which different types of building is allowed or for some areas no building is allowed at all. This system would mean more certainty to those wanting to build houses than the current system which looks at each building project individually. It would also likely lead to land prices being far more stable as what can be done with that land is set out before that land is brought. This system would be set by local councils and we support zones having multiple uses rather than just being for one purpose only. One of the other advantages to this system would be a using it to encourage building on Brownfield sites with the ability to place less restrictions on what can be built on these areas. This differs from the current system which leaves the possibility of other areas receiving more lenient planning permission due to being approved on an individual basis. Finally, we would create specific zone types that could be used by travellers and other communities more easily.
Collective bargaining between landlords and tenants
This would involve landlords and tenants negotiating the conditions for rented accommodation. This will be done using a new national framework for collective bargaining which would allow for negotiations on both an individual and a group level. These agreements would set out the tenancy agreement, the minimum standards that need to be upheld by both sides and the amount of money due and when it is due.
New houses should have proper insulation
This would require new houses to follow passive-house standards which means houses are insulated to keep them at a stable temperature. This both makes houses more energy efficient and reduces heating bills.
Support new garden cities
Alongside new houses being built in existing towns, cities and villages, new settlements should be garden cities. These give residents more natural space and reduce the overcrowding of houses. Garden cities should be built on greenfield sites to ensure this land is used effectively whilst allowing some of the area to grow back to its natural state.
For any housing built, there needs to be sufficient infrastructure
For new houses to be built, first there must be the infrastructure to support the people moving in. This means that if there aren’t enough school places, hospital beds or other public services in place, new infrastructure must be built to ensure existing residents don’t see their access to services decrease as a result of extra housing.
Copy Finland’s ‘housing first’ scheme
This should be based on Finland’s success in tackling the number of homeless people on its streets. The UK’s current model relies on temporary accommodation and essentially taking steps towards getting a new house. We would copy Finland’s ‘Housing First’ scheme which instead focuses on getting people a house as soon as possible rather than just temporary accommodation. This would be backed up by support workers, a focus on lifelong education and addiction treatment so people leaving homelessness don’t return to being homeless. We also support expanding the existing housing first system by the Housing Executives Supporting People program in Northern Ireland.
A zoning system
A zoning system would split land up into separate areas called zones in which different types of building is allowed or for some areas no building is allowed at all. This system would mean more certainty to those wanting to build houses than the current system which looks at each building project individually. It would also likely lead to land prices being far more stable as what can be done with that land is set out before that land is brought. This system would be set by local councils and we support zones having multiple uses rather than just being for one purpose only. One of the other advantages to this system would be a using it to encourage building on Brownfield sites with the ability to place less restrictions on what can be built on these areas. This differs from the current system which leaves the possibility of other areas receiving more lenient planning permission due to being approved on an individual basis. Finally, we would create specific zone types that could be used by travellers and other communities more easily.
Collective bargaining between landlords and tenants
This would involve landlords and tenants negotiating the conditions for rented accommodation. This will be done using a new national framework for collective bargaining which would allow for negotiations on both an individual and a group level. These agreements would set out the tenancy agreement, the minimum standards that need to be upheld by both sides and the amount of money due and when it is due.
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