Housing Secretary puts only a 'slim chance' on 1.5m homes target as England delivers about 203,000 a year

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner told the BBC on 13 September that there is only a "slim chance" of building 1.5 million homes in England by the end of this parliament, citing rising construction costs and the Iran war. Hitting the target implies around 300,000 new homes a year, but BBC Verify's tracking of Energy Performance Certificate data suggests about 203,000 were delivered in the 12 months to June 2026. For buyers, particularly first-time buyers relying on new-build schemes, it points to slower growth in choice, and for sellers of existing homes it means competition from new stock is likely to stay below the level the target assumed. The target has not been dropped and planning reforms are expected to lift building over the longer term, so this changes the outlook for new supply rather than anything in the market this week.