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Andy Burnham pledges to build 10,000 new council houses in Greater Manchester by 2028

He's a man on a mission.

Emily Sergeant - 8th May 2024

Andy Burnham has pledged to build 10,000 new council houses across Greater Manchester before 2028 arrives.

Following his declaration back in January that 2024 would be the year Greater Manchester “gets serious about housing”, the Mayor of Greater Manchester – who was re-elected for his third term as the region’s Labour mayor this past weekend – has vowed to tackle the housing crisis within the next decade, and is promising to build a “new generation” of council homes.

Mr Burnham is keen to put housing “centre stage” and make it a “top priority” over the course of his next mayoral term, and by 2028, he wants there to be 1,000 new council houses in each of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs.

This will involve identifying brownfield sites and land owned by public bodies where the homes can be built in each borough.

🏡 Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has pledged to build 10,000 new council homes in the city-region by 2028.

The newly re-elected Mayor today set out his ambition to end the housing crisis in Greater Manchester within a decade.

Read more 👇https://t.co/F5dbvdYGgn
— Mayor of Greater Manchester (@MayorofGM) May 7, 2024

Also, as part of his wider housing mission, Mr Burnham has also asked the Government to devolve powers to suspend ‘Right to Buy’ on these new-build council homes and in areas of greatest housing need in a bid to help “stem the critical loss” of social housing to the private rented sector in Greater Manchester.

This request comes after it was revealed that our city-region has lost nearly 24,000 homes to ‘Right to Buy’ within in the last 20 years – including 571 sold in 2022-23 alone. 

Some of the other housing measures announced by the Mayor yesterday include the introduction of a pilot scheme – which would be rolled-out across Greater Manchester by the end of 2024 – that offers residents the right to request a property check, and the opening of the new ‘GM Good Landlord Charter’ to applications by the summer, setting out standards for rental properties, and supporting landlords to meet them.

Andy Burnham pledges to build 10,000 new council houses in Greater Manchester by 2028 / Credit: Rockpanel | GMCA

Mr Burnham will also look to expand the much-valued ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme to at least 600 places every night during his third mayoral term to provide “crucial support” to rough sleepers as the rising cost of living crisis continues.

The Mayor has confirmed he will continue to donate 15% of his salary each month to support the scheme.

“Greater Manchester can’t achieve its full potential as long as it remains in the grip of a housing crisis,” Mr Burnham explained as he set out his plans for the future as Greater Manchester’s Mayor.

“That is why I am setting a new ambition for the city-region to end it within a decade.

“Everyone deserves to live in a good, safe home, and by building new council homes, and by suspending the Right to Buy on them, we can give our Councils the breathing space they desperately need to replenish their stock, so that all of those waiting in temporary accommodation or on the housing registers have the chance to access good homes.”

Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)