In a bid to address the housing shortage that has left many younger voters struggling with high rents and unable to afford their own homes, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to

construct 1 million new homes before the upcoming national election. The governing Conservatives, facing a decline in support from younger voters, recognize the pressing need to tackle this issue.

Housing has been a contentious subject within the Conservative party, with differing views among lawmakers in rural areas who oppose increased building to protect green belt land, and those in urban regions who advocate for swift construction of more homes.

Housing Minister Michael Gove is set to present additional measures aimed at streamlining the planning system and ensuring homes are built in areas with local consent, working towards achieving the 1 million homes target initially laid out in the 2019 election manifesto.

Sunak's government plans to focus on constructing homes in inner-city areas with high demand, including the establishment of a new urban quarter in Cambridge to enhance its role as a science hub.

"Today I can confirm that we will meet our manifesto commitment to build 1 million homes over this parliament. That’s a beautiful new home for a million individual families in every corner of our country," Sunak stated, referring to the time between the 2019 election and the upcoming vote.

Sunak emphasized that the government's approach would not involve excessive urbanization but rather building homes where they are most needed and supported locally, particularly in the heart of major British cities.

However, the commitment has faced skepticism from Labour's Shadow Levelling Up Secretary, Lisa Nandy, who considers the target to be insufficient given the scale of the housing crisis.

The Local Government Association, representing local authorities in England and Wales, also raised concerns about potential "substandard" developments resulting from the proposed measures.

For Sunak and the Conservatives, this housing plan represents a strategy to narrow the opposition Labour Party's significant lead in opinion polls. A recent by-election victory just outside central London offered the Prime Minister some respite.

Recent data revealed that British house building has accelerated at its fastest pace in over 14 years, apart from a brief slowdown during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, higher borrowing costs have affected demand and put pressure on the broader construction sector.

While a parliamentary committee affirmed that the government is on track to deliver 1 million new homes, it also highlighted uncertainties surrounding the fulfillment of another promise to build 300,000 net new homes annually by the mid-2020s, mainly due to uncertainties in planning policy reform.