Housebuilding or saving the planet? Solving one crisis by fuelling another

The following article is part of INSP’s Changing the Narrative series. It has been written as the result of the new journalism training academy, established in 2025 by INSP to provide people with direct experience of homelessness and poverty the opportunity to learn about journalism and the media, and to enhance their storytelling and written abilities. The training academy has two ambitions: to challenge media and public misconceptions about homelessness; and to tackle the lack of representation and diversity in newsrooms. The training academy will run again in September 2025 in INSP’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland.

Housing supply and environmental concerns have resurfaced in the news recently, evoking a sense of déjà vu. We faced similar challenges in 2003 when Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott launched the then-incumbent Labour government’s Sustainable Communities Plan. In the plan, Prescott sought to “set out how the Government would work to create successful, thriving and inclusive communities across England”.

Fast forward to 2025, and the question remains the same—how much progress have we genuinely made in resolving the enduring issues of infrastructure development versus protecting the environment? Across the political spectrum, these dual themes remain central in election manifestos. This is a clear sign that the UK’s housing crisis and the growing threat of global warming continue to demand urgent attention.

Each year, the same bleak reality repeats itself across the UK. House prices climb higher, social housing lists grow longer, homelessness becomes ever more widespread, and affordable housing options remain scarce. For many, the dream of securing a safe and stable home feels increasingly out of reach.

At the same time, UK households continue to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Domestic heating, food, electricity and transport all play a part in the ever-deepening environmental footprint of everyday living, adding another layer to the nation’s complex socio-environmental challenges.

As the present Labour government pledges to tackle both the housing shortage and environmental crisis, policymakers face a formidable challenge. The reality points toward a difficult trade-off—a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Where one policy ambition advances, it risks serious setbacks to the other. This zero-sum equation threatens to deliver short-term relief while compromising long-term sustainability, leaving decision-makers caught between competing priorities with no easy solutions.

It is still too early to determine how many new homes have been completed, or indeed how many qualify as Net Zero Carbon builds under the government’s ambitious targets—official figures are not due until November. What is clear, however, is the ever more pressing need for more affordable housing.

According to the Office for Nation Statistics, the UK’s population is forecast to rise from 69.6 million to 72.5 million by 2032. This exponential increase means that the demand for housing will continue to build too, adding yet more pressure to what homelessness charity Shelter describe as a housing emergency.

Indeed, homelessness in the UK has already reached unprecedented levels. According to recent estimates, more than 358,000 households in England have sought help from local authorities due to homelessness. And yet, that figure does not account for hidden homelessness: people who are not statistically “visible” or known by local authorities. Shelter project that if current trends continue, the number of people experiencing homelessness could surge to a half a million by 2030.

Addressing the shortage of social housing has become an urgent political priority, as stock availability has been in steep decline for decades. In the past decade alone, more than 200,000 social homes have been lost. At the same time, private renting has surged, vastly outpacing affordable social housing options.

Today, according to Shelter, there are 1.4 million fewer affordable social houses than in the 1980s. This dramatic drop underscores the ever-growing challenge faced by millions struggling to find secure, affordable accommodation. Ironically, despite housing shortages, under-occupation of property is at an all-time high, with an estimated 43 million spare bedrooms across UK households.

The current environmental impact of the average UK household is significant, with emissions exceeding six tons of CO2 annually. Taken together, UK homes are responsible for over 133 million tons of greenhouse gases each year—approximately 40% of the country’s total emissions. The bulk of this footprint comes from domestic heating, electricity, food and transport.

The government’s ambitious plan to build 300,000 new homes annually over the next five years carries a huge environmental impact and exacts a heavy toll. Everything from the upfront supply of materials to construction contributes to the carbon footprint from housing developments.

Over 50 tonnes of carbon emissions generated for every new home built, representing a massive 40% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Construction materials alone require intense heat and energy for baking bricks, firing glass, manufacturing plastics, forging steel and producing concrete.

Simply put, it’s a no-win situation. We urgently need more housing, but we also need to protect and save the environment. Against this backdrop, the government’s ambitious house building proposal sparks urgent questions about the environmental toll that such large-scale development will exact. Achieving the balance between infrastructure development and environmental sustainability will continue to be a pressing challenge for policymakers.

In the meantime, and no matter which political party holds office, action is needed on both fronts. Regardless of the scale of the problem, we must focus on clear, actionable measures that guarantee real impact and meaningful change. Everyone has the fundamental right to a safe and healthy home to support their wellbeing, but a roof over everyone’s head must dovetail with policies that commit to leaving a greener, cleaner legacy for future generations.