England's housing crisis has deepened. New figures show the number of homes added to the country's housing stock has fallen to its lowest level in nearly a decade.
Some 208,600 new dwellings were created in England in 2024/25, down 6% from 221,409 the previous year. This marks the weakest performance since 2015/16, when 195,534 homes were added.
The total includes 190,602 new builds, 17,708 properties converted from non-domestic to residential use, and 3,846 conversions between houses and flats. A further 1,076 other types of homes were added, such as caravans and house boats, while 4,632 properties were demolished.
Government targets at risk
The figures highlight a growing gap between supply and political ambition. The Government has pledged to deliver 1.5 million new homes over this parliament, which runs until summer 2029.
This would require an average of 300,000 homes per year. Current delivery falls dramatically short of that target.
Data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government shows only 124,800 new homes have been delivered so far this financial year, from April 1 to November 9. Since the start of the current parliament on July 9, 275,600 homes have been added.
The annual total peaked at 248,591 in 2019/20, the highest number of new homes in any financial year so far this century. The current figures represent a significant retreat from that high point.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
