Join the campaign for social homes

We’re calling on the government to get councils building social homes again. You can too by joining the campaign. 

Right now, councils can’t access the money needed to build social homes, we want to change that. Not too long ago, councils built the social homes this country relied on. Millions of people paid truly affordable rents to their council for a home that gave them a chance to build happy, healthy lives – a foundation to thrive. 

Right now, the severe shortage of social homes is having devastating consequences. There are over 176,000 children homeless and living in temporary accommodation – an all-time record. We need more social homes that everyone can afford. 

You can help make that happen. Last year, Shelter campaigners helped win £39bn for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme – a 70% year on year increase in funding.

Steps forward like these show us that if we keep campaigning together, we can stop children growing up homeless.  

Join the campaign to build more social homes today. 

• Why does Getting Councils Building matter?

  History shows us change is possible.If we get councils building again like they used to, we can end child homelessness.

  Councils used to build huge numbers of social homes. In 1967, they built 154,000 social homes in one year alone.

  This was normal, in the 1960s 40% of all homes built were by councils. Between 2013 and 2023 it was only 1%.

  We need the government to act so that councils are no longer held back from building the new generation of social homes we need.