Red Brick

A housing and climate win-win is available but is it on the government’s radar? - Red Brick Paul Brannen lays out how the Government's plans for housing should factor in construction with timber to mitigate the environmental impact of construction.

NEW | A housing and climate win-win is available but is it on the government’s radar?

Paul Brannen lays out how the Government’s plans for housing should factor in construction with timber to mitigate the environmental impact of construction.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/08/10-y...

Will the Renters’ Rights Bill end the temporary accommodation crisis? - Red Brick Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, argues that a lack of measures on affordability in the Renters' Rights Bill will hamper attempts to reduce the cost of renting.

NEW | Will the Renters’ Rights Bill end the temporary accommodation crisis?

Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, argues that a lack of measures on affordability in the Renters’ Rights Bill will hamper attempts to reduce the cost of renting.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/rent...

Will the Renters’ Rights Bill end the temporary accommodation crisis? - Red Brick Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, argues that a lack of measures on affordability in the Renters' Rights Bill will hamper attempts to reduce the cost of renting.

Will the Renters’ Rights Bill end the temporary accommodation crisis?

With the cost of renting still soaring across the UK, read my article for @redbrickblog.bsky.social 🏘️
redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/rent...

Speeding Up With Certainty - Red Brick Cllr Ezra Cohen lays out how the Government can speed up the pace of housebuilding with existing rules rather than relying on new powers.

NEW | Speeding Up With Certainty

Cllr Ezra Cohen lays out how the Government can speed up the pace of housebuilding with existing rules rather than relying on new powers.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/spee...

Fix renting to fix lives - Red Brick Dr Beth Kitson, Research and Policy Analyst at PBE, explores how renters are not just paying more in rent, but also paying the price in lower wellbeing. Housing reform is not only about correcting mar...

NEW | Fix renting to fix lives

Dr Beth Kitson explores how renters are not just paying more in rent, but also paying the price in lower wellbeing. Housing reform is not only about correcting markets, it’s about improving people’s everyday lives.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/fix-...

Fix renting to fix lives - Red Brick Dr Beth Kitson, Research and Policy Analyst at PBE, explores how renters are not just paying more in rent, but also paying the price in lower wellbeing. Housing reform is not only about correcting mar...

Renters face not only higher costs but also lower wellbeing.

@pbe.co.uk identified 110,000 individuals experience decreased wellbeing due to private renting, costing £3.7k per person annually.

Read @redbrickblog.bsky.social piece: redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/fix-...

Tackling second homes and short-term lets is key to addressing rural inequality - Red Brick Jayne Kirkham, Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth, lays out the issues which second homes and short-term lets pose to rural communities and the tools local authorities need to address them

NEW | Tackling second homes and short-term lets is key to addressing rural inequality

@jaynekirkhammp.bsky.social lays out the issues which second homes and short-term lets pose to rural communities and the tools local authorities need to address them.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/clas...

‘So what has Labour done differently?’ - 50 housing wins from Labour's first year in power - Red Brick From planning for 1.5 million homes to a generational boost in social housing, improving building safety and fixing flawed tenures, Labour's first year in office has marked a step change in addressing...

“One year in, and the Labour Government is moving with remarkable speed and ambition to fix the housing crisis, proving that, when it comes to housing, change is being delivered.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/so-w...

‘So what has Labour done differently?’ - 50 housing wins from Labour's first year in power - Red Brick From planning for 1.5 million homes to a generational boost in social housing, improving building safety and fixing flawed tenures, Labour's first year in office has marked a step change in addressing...

NEW | ‘So what has Labour done differently?' – 50 housing wins from Labour’s first year in power

With bold steps in housing delivery, fixing flawed tenures, building safety and quality, Labour’s first year in office has marked a step change in housing.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/so-w...

Ending out-of-borough temporary accommodation must be a key part of Labour's mission - Red Brick Naushabah Khan, Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Rainham and member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, sets out the national issue of out-of-borough temporary ac...

NEW | Ending out-of-borough temporary accommodation must be a key part of Labour’s mission

@naushabahkhanmp.bsky.social sets out the national issue of out-of-borough temporary accommodation, and what Labour can do to address this.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/07/clas...

Safe as houses: how this Government is putting building safety at the top of the agenda. - Red Brick Dr Darren Paffey, Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen, lays out the previous Government's failures in tackling the building safety crisis and what Labour is doing to grips with this pressing i...

NEW | Safe as houses: how this Government is putting building safety at the top of the agenda.

Darren Paffey MP lays out the previous Government’s failures in tackling the building safety crisis and what Labour is doing to grips with this pressing issue.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/clas...

A new article from me for @redbrickblog.bsky.social about how construction skills, good jobs, and building homes - if done right - can help us to tackle the rise of populist parties like Reform 👇

Can building homes help Labour beat populism?  - Red Brick Lauren Edwards, Member of Parliament for Rochester and Strood and Chair of the APPG for Skills, Careers and Employment, sets out how Labour's active skills policy in construction can help to generate ...

NEW | Can building homes help Labour beat populism?

@laurenedwardsmp.bsky.social sets out how Labour’s active skills policy in construction can help to generate the jobs and prosperity needed to beat populism.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/clas...

✍️ on New Towns

New Towns are a Labour success story – now these young towns need Labour again - Red Brick Shaun Davies, Member of Parliament for Telford, and Co-Chair of the New Towns Network, looks back at Labour's achievements with New Towns and sets out their potential under this Government.

NEW | New Towns are a Labour success story – now these young towns need Labour again

@shaundaviesmp.bsky.social, looks back at Labour’s achievements with New Towns and sets out their potential under this Government.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/shau...

The Supported Housing Act needs to back good providers - Red Brick While Emmaus UK’s research shows strong support for new supported housing standards, the government needs to think further to ensure good providers do not suffer unintended consequences

NEW | The Supported Housing Act needs to back good providers

While Emmaus UK’s research shows strong support for new supported housing standards, the government needs to ensure good providers do not suffer unintended consequences.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/the-...

Not so nimby after all? - Red Brick Ben Marshall, Research Director at Ipsos, digs into the polling around support for new homes and the public’s views on how homes should be built, and how it should shape Labour’s housing agenda.

NEW | Not so nimby after all?

Ben Marshall, Research Director at Ipsos, digs into the polling around support for new homes and the public’s views on how homes should be built, and how it should shape Labour’s housing agenda.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/not-...

Get on and build - Red Brick Town planner Mary Elkington of Figura Planning Ltd explains a bit about the speed of housebuilding today and how the government’s proposed approaches speeding of housing delivery may be one part of th...

“All the research and papers highlight that diversity in housing delivery does increase the rate at which new homes are completed.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/get-...

Thirty years of challenging the public borrowing rules - Red Brick John Perry and Steve Hilditch look back at past debates about how housing financing should fit within the Government's fiscal rules.

“At one time it was hard to find anyone on either government or opposition benches willing to speak up for council housing, now it is widely perceived as key to solving the UK’s housing crisis.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/thir...

Foundations for the Future: how can new delivery models help to mitigate the housing emergency? - Red Brick Jack Pringle, Chair of the Board of the Royal Institute of British Architects, lays out the potential of new delivery models to deliver much-needed social homes.

NEW | Foundations for the Future: how can new delivery models help to mitigate the housing emergency?

Jack Pringle, Chair of the Board of the Royal Institute of British Architects, lays out the potential of new delivery models to deliver much-needed social homes.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/foun...

Get on and build - Red Brick Town planner Mary Elkington of Figura Planning Ltd explains a bit about the speed of housebuilding today and how the government’s proposed approaches speeding of housing delivery may be one part of th...

NEW | Get on and build

Town planner Mary Elkington of Figura Planning Ltd explains a bit about the speed of housebuilding today and how the government’s proposed approaches speeding of housing delivery may be one part of the answer.

@maryindevon.bsky.social

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/get-...

Thirty years of challenging the public borrowing rules - Red Brick John Perry and Steve Hilditch look back at past debates about how housing financing should fit within the Government's fiscal rules.

NEW | Thirty years of challenging the public borrowing rules

John Perry and Steve Hilditch look back at past debates about how housing financing should fit within the Government’s fiscal rules.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/06/thir...

Building  1.5m homes with a skills shortage: strategies to alleviate labour demand - Red Brick City building specialist Simon Barrow lays out how the Government can reduce the demand on the UK's stretched construction workforce through Modern Methods of Construction, self-build homes, utilising...

NEW | Building 1.5m homes with a skills shortage: strategies to alleviate labour demand

City building specialist Simon Barrow lays out how the Government can reduce the demand on the UK’s stretched construction workforce.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/stra...

Housing issues loomed large in Australia’s Labor’s historic election win - Red Brick Professor Hal Pawson of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, lays out the housing undercurrents of Australia's recent election and the way forward for a second Albanese term.

“While it probably didn’t decide the election, housing policy was a fiercely debated central issue during the campaign, with Labor’s pitch (and record) generally landing better with the public.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/hous...

Labour’s opportunity to disrupt housing taxation - Red Brick Red Brick Editor Alex Toal looks into how reforming how our homes are taxed could represent a political opportunity for Labour.

“Creative solutions to find money are required, and looking at the antiquated way in which housing is taxed could not only free up more money for public services, but result in direct cash benefit for lower income households.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/labo...

Housing issues loomed large in Australia’s Labor’s historic election win - Red Brick Professor Hal Pawson of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, lays out the housing undercurrents of Australia's recent election and the way forward for a second Albanese term.

NEW | Housing issues loomed large in Australia’s Labor’s historic election win

Professor Hal Pawson of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, lays out the housing undercurrents of Australia’s recent election and the way forward for a second Albanese term.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/hous...

Labour’s opportunity to disrupt housing taxation - Red Brick Red Brick Editor Alex Toal looks into how reforming how our homes are taxed could represent a political opportunity for Labour.

NEW | Labour’s opportunity to disrupt housing taxation

Red Brick Editor Alex Toal looks into how reforming how our homes are taxed could represent a political opportunity for Labour.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/labo...

Bricks, Mortar, and the People to Lay Them - Red Brick Tom Arey, director at PfP Thrive, lays out the challenges faced by organisations aiming to address the skills shortages in housing and what can be done to attract more people to the sector.

NEW | Bricks, Mortar, and the People to Lay Them

Tom Arey, director at PfP Thrive, lays out the challenges faced by organisations aiming to address the skills shortages in housing and what can be done to attract more people to the sector.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/bric...

Reforming Section 106 is crucial for a generational boost in social housing - Red Brick The existing system to fund social housing from developer contributions, the New Economics Foundation's Hollie Wright shows, is too loose and needs clearer requirements and greater transparency.

“Clearly, our existing approach is broken, underlined by the fact that the more we’ve depended on developer contributions, the fewer genuinely affordable homes we’ve managed to produce.”

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/refo...

Reforming Section 106 is crucial for a generational boost in social housing - Red Brick The existing system to fund social housing from developer contributions, the New Economics Foundation's Hollie Wright shows, is too loose and needs clearer requirements and greater transparency.

NEW | Reforming Section 106 is crucial for a generational boost in social housing

The existing system to fund social housing from developer contributions, NEF’s Hollie Wright shows, is too loose and needs clearer requirements and greater transparency.

redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/05/refo...