Trump calls off housing bill signing and blindsides Republicans
The president abruptly scrapped a planned ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, surprising allies who had hailed it as a win.
Marcus Reeve 4 min read
Housing
Housing coverage here joins the market data to the policy scramble behind it. Recent stories track UK house prices flatlining in May and falling for the first time this year as a north-south divide hardens, while lenders keep cutting mortgage rates. On the policy side, the page follows nine councils stripped of planning powers over major developments, AI planning tools issued as the government chases 1.5 million homes, the Right to Buy overhaul designed to protect council stock, and London's temporary-accommodation crisis passing 75,000 households.
Temporary accommodation crisis deepens as London households top 75,000
New statutory homelessness statistics show the number of households living in temporary accommodation has reached a record high, with councils spending billions and warning that the bill is pushing some authorities towards insolvency.
Eleanor Whitfield 7 min read
UK house prices flatline in May as a north-south divide hardens
Halifax says the typical home now costs just under £299,000 with annual growth of 0.5%, but the headline masks a stark split between a buoyant north and a weakening south.
Rajan Mehta 7 min read
Nine councils stripped of planning powers over major developments
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has placed nine local authorities in planning 'special measures', allowing developers to bypass them and apply directly to the Planning Inspectorate for large schemes.
Eleanor Whitfield 7 min read
Renting? The headline figure hides where costs are really soaring - and where they're falling
The average new let now costs £1,321 a month, up 2.1% in a year, but Zoopla's data shows rents climbing fastest in the cheapest areas while pricier postcodes cool.
Sophie Bennett 7 min read
Lenders cut mortgage rates again as house prices edge lower
NatWest, Barclays, Santander and others have trimmed fixed deals in a fresh wave of reductions, offering relief to borrowers even as the housing market cools.
Rajan Mehta 7 min read
Councils to get AI planning tools as government chases 1.5 million homes
Ministers are rolling out artificial intelligence tools to local planning departments in a bid to halve decision times, part of a wider package of reforms designed to accelerate housebuilding across England.
Eleanor Whitfield 7 min read
UK house prices fall for first time this year as north-south divide widens
A surprise monthly drop reported by Nationwide has confirmed a cooling property market, with prices sliding in the south while northern regions and the devolved nations continue to climb.
Eleanor Whitfield 7 min read
Right to Buy overhaul aims to protect council homes from the sell-off
As the Social Housing Bill clears its second reading in the Lords, the government's Right to Buy reforms will extend eligibility to ten years, cut discounts and shield new social homes from sale for 35 years.
Eleanor Whitfield 7 min read