Politics

Angela Rayner sees slim chance of hitting 1.5 million homes target

The housing secretary cited rising construction costs and war-driven inflation as major obstacles.

Updated Sep 13, 2026 · 11:47 UTC2 reports

The short version

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner acknowledged there is only a slim chance the government will build 1.5 million homes before the next election.[The Guardian · BBC News]
Rayner attributed the shortfall to international headwinds from the Iran war and higher construction costs.[The Guardian · BBC News]
Official figures through June 2026 showed around 203,000 homes delivered in England, below the required 300,000 annual pace.[BBC News]
Rayner noted that the government has committed £10bn to affordable and social housing programmes as home starts rose 15%.[The Guardian]

Angela Rayner stated there is only a slim chance the government will reach its goal of 1.5 million homes in England by the next election.[The Guardian · BBC News]
Rising construction costs and inflation linked to the war with Iran were identified by Rayner as key obstacles.[The Guardian · BBC News]
Data for the year ending June 2026 recorded about 203,000 new homes delivered in England, below the required 300,000 annual target.[BBC News]
The government committed £10bn to a social and affordable homes programme, while home starts increased by 15% over the previous year.[The Guardian]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.