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Net new homes rise by 1% to highest number since records began
The number of net new homes delivered in England rose in 2019/20 by 1% on the previous year, resulting in the largest figure since records began in the 1990s.
The latest statistics from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show 243,770 net additional dwellings were delivered in 2019/20, compared to 241,130 in 2018/19.
Last year, the number of net additional homes reached the highest level since records began in 1991/92. A previous peak of 223,530 homes had been recorded in 2007/8 prior to the financial crash.
This year’s figure was driven largely by a rise in the number of new builds, with 220,600 new builds recorded in 2019/20, up 3% from the 213,660 new builds recorded in the previous year.
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Change of use – for example, converting offices to homes – accounted for 26,930 additional homes in 2019/20, down 8% from the 29,260 additional homes delivered through change of use in 2018/19.
Conversions, such as turning a house into flats, accounted for 4,340 additional homes in 2019/20, compared to 5,220 in 2018/19.
An increase in additional dwellings was achieved despite an increase in the number of demolitions recorded in 2019/20, when 9,020 homes were demolished, compared to 7,940 in 2018/19.
The statistics show that before the COVID-19 crisis hit, the government was on track to meet its target of delivering one million new homes over the next five years.
However, the number still falls short of the 300,000 homes per year target the government had said it hoped to achieve by the mid-2020s.
No breakdown of tenure is provided as part of these statistics. However, the government has said these numbers are the most reliable measure of housing supply in England.
Further statistics on housing supply are recorded by the National Housing Federation and the National House Building Council.
