Migrants are putting huge and unsustainable pressure on Britain's broken housing market, according to Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary. Gove admits that the market's failure to keep up with the number of people moving to Britain is even worse than previously thought. New statistics reveal that a record 745,000 migrants came to Britain last year, despite repeated pledges by the Conservative Party to reduce numbers. Gove believes that the situation calls for both a reduction in migration and an increase in the construction of new homes.
The Situation is Worse Than You Think
In an interview with Times Radio, Michael Gove acknowledged that Britain's housing market is struggling to keep pace with record migration rates. When asked if the UK has enough homes to match the demand from immigrants, Gove responded, "Yes, in fact I think actually the situation is – if anything – worse than you depict." This admission highlights the urgent need to address the overwhelmed housing system.
Bringing Migration Down and Building More Homes
Michael Gove emphasized the need to decrease migration and increase the construction of new homes. He recognized that migratory flows put additional pressure on housing, but stressed that the shortage of homes is a long-standing issue that predates the recent surge in migration. Gove stated, "It is the case that the migratory flows put more pressure on housing, but we haven't built enough homes overall for generations. I think we need to do both."
Promises and Actions
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has claimed that the government is on track to meet its target of building one million new homes before the next general election. However, last year, the Conservative Party abandoned its manifesto commitment to construct 300,000 new homes annually and weakened rules that enforced construction in local authorities. Today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to take further action to reduce soaring migration, acknowledging that more needs to be done to fulfill the government's promises.
Speaking at the Global Investment Summit, Sunak admitted that the levels of net migration are too high and need to be brought down to more sustainable levels. While the recent figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate a slowdown in migration, Sunak stressed the need for additional measures to address the issue.
