Rebuilding our social housing system | Burnley MP Oliver Ryan column

Hello all!

I hope you're all recovering from the recent heatwave. It's rather overcast as I write this, so I'm hoping we're back to more familiar Lancashire weather soon enough. As much as I love the sunshine, it’s always better in a short burst!

It's been a busy few weeks, and this Saturday I was lucky enough to spend the day celebrating the best of Burnley. From meeting local organisations at an event at Tesco, to seeing young people from 24 countries packing food parcels at Turf Moor for local charities, to joining the celebrations at Shah Jalal Masjid's Eid Fun Day, it was a cracking weekend and a reminder of the community spirit we're lucky to have here.

Anyway, down to business: let’s talk social housing.

Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe, secure and affordable home. Yet far too many families are stuck on housing waiting lists, struggling with rising private rents or living in expensive temporary accommodation.

The reality is simple: we don't have enough social housing.

For years, councils and housing providers have been trying to meet growing demand while watching existing social housing stock disappear. Too many homes have been sold off without being replaced, and too many barriers have stood in the way of building the next generation of affordable homes.

Let's be clear: this crisis didn't appear overnight. After years of the Tories failing to build enough affordable homes and allowing social housing stock to shrink, families have been left paying the price. Many of the politicians who oversaw that record are now leading the charge in Reform UK, offering plenty of criticism but few serious answers for towns like Burnley, Padiham, and Brierfield.

That's why the Government has introduced the Social Housing Bill.

The aim is straightforward: protect existing social housing, make it easier to build new homes, and give tenants greater security and protection.

One of the biggest changes is reforming Right to Buy. Long-standing tenants will still have a route into homeownership, but new social homes will be protected from sale for 35 years, helping councils and housing providers maintain housing stock for future generations.

Put simply, if we're serious about tackling the housing shortage, we can't keep losing social homes faster than we're building them.

The Bill also strengthens protections for people experiencing domestic abuse, helping victims remain securely housed or move to suitable accommodation when needed. Alongside this, unnecessary bureaucracy that slows down housebuilding will be cut, allowing councils and housing associations to focus on delivering the homes people need.

This forms part of a wider programme, including a £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to support the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation.

Housing isn't just about bricks and mortar. It's about security, stability and giving people a foundation to build their lives.

That said, there's still a lot more to do here in Burnley. My campaign to bring derelict brownfield sites back into use is about turning neglected land into decent, affordable homes for local people. That's how we tackle the housing crisis: not with slogans, but by getting homes built where they're needed most.

As always, if you need anything please reach out by emailing [email protected] or by attending a drop in with a caseworker at my office between 10am – 2pm from Monday – Thursday.