New figures published by the MHCLG show the UK government remains off track to meet its target of delivering 1.5 million homes in England by the end of this Parliament.
An estimated 437,900 net additional homes were delivered in England between 9 July 2024, when this Parliament started, and 20 September 2026.
This means around 29% of the target has been delivered while approximately 44% of the five-year period has elapsed. If the current pace of delivery continues, the government would fall short of its target by more than 500,000 homes.
Seasonally adjusted building control data also revealed 35,910 dwellings where building work has begun on site started in 2Q2026. This was up by 5.5% on the quarter and by 19.9% on 2Q2025.
Private enterprise starts, which comprise the majority of new starts, increased by almost one-third in the second quarter of 2026 compared with 2Q2025.
According to the MHCLG, recent growth in reported housing starts should be treated with caution as part of the increase reflects a substantial rise in starts reported by the BSR.
Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: “It’s certainly positive to see an increase in housing starts in the second quarter, as well as year-on-year growth in completions. But looking at the broader picture, the government still has significant ground to make up if it is going to get anywhere near to delivering 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.
“Earlier this month, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner acknowledged there is only a slim chance the government will meet its target, amid headwinds including the Iran war and rising construction costs.
“What’s important now is giving the industry clarity at the Autumn Budget and beyond on support for housebuilding, first-time buyers, energy and construction costs and the impact of new levies on developers. Greater local authority housebuilding will take time to scale up, so with private enterprise continuing to deliver the majority of new homes, developers need support and certainty to build.”
Completions in the second quarter totalled 35,800 – down by 3.4% on the quarter but up by 1.5% year-on-year.
At a tenure level, local authority completions fell substantially in 2Q2026 on the previous quarter but increased by 60.0% when compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
