SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - Following his victory in the 2024 general election, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled an ambitious housing policy aimed at tackling what he described as a "national crisis." The plan included supplying 370,000 homes annually, totaling 1.5 million over five years, with a focus on expanding public sector involvement, developing new towns, and making use of green belt areas.
His housing policy focused on two main priorities: restructuring public sector roles to take the lead in housing supply and building a diverse mix of homes in both urban and suburban areas.
He aimed to transform the public sector from a primarily regulatory role into an active participant in housing supply. By acquiring land and developing plans, the public sector provided the framework for private sector involvement, with the goal of accelerating both the speed and scale of housing delivery. Despite the U.K.'s longstanding reputation for high housing prices, public sector participation in housing supply had historically been limited.
He sought to transform the public sector from a passive regulator into an active supplier. By acquiring land and designing development frameworks, the public sector enabled large-scale private construction, accelerating both the speed and scale of housing supply. Despite Britain's notoriously high housing costs, public sector involvement in supply remained minimal.
Despite incentives for private developers, housing supply remained insufficient to meet demand. The new government viewed redefining the public sector’s role as essential to tackling chronic housing shortages.
Starmer's cabinet pursued a multifaceted approach to housing supply including densifying urban areas, developing new suburban towns, redeveloping brownfield sites, utilizing green belt land, and constructing social housing. This strategy shows that no single method alone can address the country's housing problem.
The U.K.'s strategy demonstrates that effective housing policy requires the right combination of approaches, not a binary choice between urban or suburban development. This lesson is particularly relevant for South Korea, where diverse housing needs demand multiple supply strategies rather than dependence on any single method.
By Jeon Seong-je at Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI.
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