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Starmer's Housing Crisis: Completions Plummet to Decade Low

2/17/2026

24 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, faces a challenge as housebuilding in England is set to reach its lowest level in over a decade.
Labour's first 15 months yielded 175,290 completed homes, far below the 300,000 target.
The last quarter logged 30,880 completions, the weakest since the pandemic peak.
Projections show annual completions could fall to just over 130,000, the lowest since 2014, as weak demand and higher costs suppress construction.

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Story summary

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, faces a challenge as housebuilding in England is set to reach its lowest level in over a decade.
Labour's first 15 months yielded 175,290 completed homes, far below the 300,000 target.
The last quarter logged 30,880 completions, the weakest since the pandemic peak.
Projections show annual completions could fall to just over 130,000, the lowest since 2014, as weak demand and higher costs suppress construction.