Labour has assembled a group of senior figures from the housing industry to tackle a fresh review of ownership in a bid to shape new policies.
Shadow housing minister John Healey said the cross-sector review would specifically examine an apparent decline in ownership.
The findings of the Redfern Review - led by Pete Redfern, the chief executive of Taylor Wimpey - are expected to be at the core of Labour’s housing policy.
Labour claims home ownership in England is now at its lowest level for nearly three decades. The Review will report back to Healey in the late summer 2016 ready for a major launch of key findings at the autumn conference.
Pete Redfern, said: “I have an ambition for a healthy and sustainable housing market that will give current and future generations the opportunity to own their own home. The continued structural decline in home ownership presents a long-term social and economic challenge and necessitates a considered review. This is not about party politics, it affects us all.”
A focus on ownership is a move into technical detail for the party, which carried out the Lyons Review in 2015. The former head of the BBC and local government chief said the party should delegate responsibility out to local areas and give a new role to the Homes and Communities Agency.
John Healey said: “Increasing home-ownership is Labour’s housing priority. The Redfern Review will take a hard look at the causes of the recent decline in home-ownership, to help bring fresh ideas to the wider public debate on how we can get to grips with this problem.”
