Rent controls and expanding social housing are popular with public

•    70% of Britons agree the country has a housing crisis
•    44% think that the issue has been discussed too little in the last few months
•    52% rate the Conservative Government’s record negatively, 14% rate it positively
•    Seven in ten support rent controls and the expansion of social housing

New polling from Ipsos, taken between 7-10 June 2024 for i:news, explores public opinion towards housing policies in Britain. This was reported by Housing Correspondent Vicky Spratt on 13 June 2024.

There is a continued sense of crisis.

• Seven in ten Britons, 70%, agree there is a housing crisis in Britain, little-changed on 69% recorded in May 2022 (and 73% and 74% in 2017 and 2019). 
• This is recognised by all tenures and geographies. 
• 44% think that the issue of housing has been discussed too little in Britain in the last few months – a higher proportion than the 13% who think it has been discussed too much and 31% about the right amount. Labour voters and renters are more likely than average to have this view.
   

The crisis comprises multiple housing issues.

• Two-thirds or more consider each one of seven housing issues to be a very or fairly serious issue, ranging from the condition of rented properties in the private sector (67%) to the amount of homelessness in Britain, and the amount of affordable properties to rent (both 77%).
• The amount of homelessness and affordable properties to rent are considered very serious problems by four in ten – 39% and 40% respectively.

• Labour and Conservative voters, and different tenure groups, see these as problems to a similar degree.

  

There is negativity about the Conservatives’ record on housing but people are unsure Labour would do better.

• Half (52%) think the Conservative Government is doing a bad job at improving housing in Britain – no change since an Ipsos poll in May 2023 (also 52%). 
• Just 14% think it is doing a good job, down four points (from 18%).
• A year ago, 29% of Conservative voters in 2019 voters were positive; now 21%.
• The public are split on whether they think a Labour Government would do a better job; 36% think a Labour government would be better than the current Government at improving housing, 18% expect them to do a worse job, 35% thought it would make no difference.

People tend to be more circumspect on policies…

• While clear about problems, people are less sure about several policy options. For example, a plurality back building a set of new towns – supported by 47% with 20% opposed – but the remainder are unsure.
• The ratio of support to opposition is similar in terms of borrowing money to fund the building of more affordable housing (46% support this, 21% oppose) and to fund improvements to existing homes e.g. improving insulation or grants for heat pumps (45% to 21%).  
• However, opinion is split when it comes to funding these policies by increasing taxes.
   

…but rent controls and the expansion of social housing are popular

• Seven in ten people in England, 71%, support introducing rent controls in England for the private sector so that rents do not rise by more than the national inflation rate. 
• This is supported by 79% who voted Labour in 2019 and 69% who voted Conservative. 
• Two-thirds of people, 65%, support the expansion of social housing by making it available to people to people who cannot afford the cost of private renting and not just the most vulnerable people in society. 
• This was backed by 76% who voted Labour in 2019 and 63% who voted Conservative.

Ben Marshall, Research Director at Ipsos, said:

A theme of the election campaign polling so far is that the dial hasn’t moved, and this applies equally to voters’ attitudes about housing. There remains a strong sense of crisis and that the Conservatives haven’t improved things, but there are question marks about Labour doing better. Rent controls are popular, so too is the expansion of social housing.

Technical note
Ipsos surveyed a representative sample of 1,131 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain via the online Omnibus platform between 7-10 June 2024. The question about rent controls was confined to a sample of 981 in England. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.