Today, the Green Party released its manifesto for the 2024 general election, focusing on policies for renters, social housing, and energy efficiency.
Their policies for renters include a new stable rental tenancy, ending no-fault evictions, and implementing rent controls so local authorities can manage unaffordable rents. They propose establishing private residential tenancy boards to provide an informal, cost-effective, and speedy forum for resolving disputes before they reach a tribunal.
The Greens also aim to provide 150,000 social homes per year through new builds and the purchase/refurbishment of older housing stock. They advocate for a community right to buy for local authorities and plan to end the individual ‘right to buy’. To improve energy efficiency, they propose a £29bn investment in home insulation, £9bn for installing low-carbon heating systems, and granting tenants the right to demand energy efficiency improvements.
Reacting to the announcement, Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “The Green Party are right to put an offer to renters at the centre of their manifesto. We welcome their commitment to ending no-fault evictions and their recognition of the devastating impact they can have.
“Unaffordable rents are a huge driver of poverty and homelessness. Plans to help social landlords and community housing groups purchase and refurbish poorly-insulated homes and bring them into the social sector will mean more people made homeless will find a stable home, while also cutting carbon emissions.
“Powers for councils to control rents will be an important mechanism to slam the brakes on the wild rent rises that tenants are facing, keeping us in our homes and easing the pressure on our wallets. We hope the party will set out more details about how far councils could intervene.
“The goal of 150,000 new social homes per year is positive, but aside from a brief mention of new build, it is not clear how many new homes would be built under Green plans to make sure there are enough homes in areas people want to live.
“Private renters are at a higher risk of fuel poverty than other tenures, so we are pleased to see the Greens’ ambition on driving up energy efficiency in private rented homes. Funding for insulation is essential, but they also recognise the need for renters to have a right to ask for this.”
