Today’s £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme is a vital step towards ending our housing emergency. Too many families are caught in spiralling rents or long waiting lists – by prioritising social homes over sheer build‑volume, we can ensure that every new house is genuinely affordable, decent and secure.
Locking in a 10‑year rent settlement gives councils and housing associations the stability to plan long‑term. That means safer neighbourhoods and stronger communities — but only if our welfare system keeps pace, protecting those for whom even a small rent rise can mean choosing between heating or eating.
Yet at a time when we’re recommitting at home, Britain’s overseas aid has fallen to just 0.3% of our national income. This cut doesn’t just shrink budgets — it silences our ability to build schools, clinics and post‑disaster shelters in countries where conflict, floods and drought are tearing lives apart.
Decent housing — the certainty of a front door that locks, a dry roof, running water — is a foundation for health, education and dignity. It’s a universal right, not a privilege. If we truly believe in the transformative power of homes, our government must match its domestic ambition with a global one: repairing our moral standing in the world by restoring aid and championing affordable housing for everyone, everywhere.
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