Government's 1.5M Homes Plan: Universal Basic Service for Sustainable Housing
The government has set an ambitious target to build 1.5 million homes. A joint report from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and the Social Guarantee proposes delivering housing as a universal basic service (UBS), aiming for universal access, environmental safeguarding, and collective action.
The UBS approach would involve retrofitting existing homes, building new ones to high standards, ensuring security and affordability, and improving neighborhoods. It also considers the high emissions from construction and demolition, which are rising dangerously. The Climate Change Committee stresses the need for near-complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from UK buildings to meet climate change targets.
Refurbishing surplus properties is more sustainable than demolition and construction. However, the climate cost factor for the 12 new cities planned under the new housing construction policy is not explicitly stated. Relevant cost drivers include increasing CO2 pricing, the need for sustainable planning measures like green roofs and photovoltaics, and consideration of environmental follow-up costs in comprehensive economic calculations.
The UBS vision includes more social security and redistributing existing space, which could help tackle the one fifth of UK carbon emissions coming from residential buildings. Minister Steve Reed has announced the construction of 12 new towns, and the government aims to build 1.5 million homes. The NEF and Social Guarantee report suggests practical measures to overcome vested interests that lock-in the status quo, making the UBS approach a feasible path towards sustainable and affordable housing.
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