UK councils have warned that the sluggish rate of housebuilding in the country means that existing homes must house more people and last longer, leading to the country spending nearly as much on repair and maintenance of existing homes as it does on building new ones. In 2016, for example, £27bn was spent repairing existing homes while £35bn was spent on new builds. In 2016, £27bn ($34.5bn) was spent repairing existing homes while £35bn was spent on new builds. The government has pledged to build 200,000 affordable homes, but only about half are expected to be built by 2020.
UK councils have warned that the sluggish rate of housebuilding in the country means that existing homes must house more people and last longer, leading to the country spending nearly as much on repair and maintenance of existing homes as it does on building new ones. In 2016, £27bn ($34.5bn) was spent repairing existing homes while £35bn was spent on new builds. The government has pledged to build 200,000 affordable homes, but only about half are expected to be built by 2020.