CIH congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming prime minister

CIH has congratulated Andy Burnham on his appointment as prime minister and looks forward to working with his new administration.

We would also like to thank Sir Keir Starmer for his leadership and commitment to tackling the housing crisis. During his time in office, housing was established as a national priority, with a renewed focus on increasing housing supply and addressing the challenges facing communities across the country. 

Throughout his political career, Burnham has been a strong advocate for housing as both a social and economic priority. His emphasis on increasing housing supply, particularly affordable and social housing, and on empowering local leaders to meet the needs of their communities reflects many of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector today. It was notable that in his first speech as prime minister, he spoke about restoring hope and opportunity and made a clear commitment to building more council housing and ending rough sleeping – an ambition that will resonate strongly across the housing sector.

The housing crisis requires long-term solutions. We look forward to working with his team to support delivery of the homes the country needs, including a sustained programme of investment in social housing, alongside the funding, certainty and local capacity needed to turn ambition into reality. 

As Prime Minister Burnham has made clear, housing is fundamental to growth, opportunity and wellbeing. By working together, we have a real opportunity to improve housing outcomes and create a stronger foundation for communities across the country. 

We will be writing to the prime minister and new secretary of state to set out some of the key challenges and opportunities ahead in the coming months, and to offer our support. We’ll keep members updated on any further developments.