Housing Needs: Young People

Catherine Atkinson Excerpts

Thursday 16th April 2026 Westminster Hall

[Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I am grateful to the hon. Members for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) and for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) for securing the debate.

Housing is an issue that goes to the heart of opportunity for young people. A generation that came of age in the wake of the financial crisis and saw youth services slashed under austerity then had their lives put on pause by the pandemic; now, when they seek to be independent, they face a housing market that is too often still inaccessible.

Young people in the private rented sector spend a higher proportion of their income on rent than any other age group—if they are able to live independently at all, that is. In 2014, 36% of those aged 24 still lived in their family home; by 2024, that had risen to 49%. Thankfully, this Government are treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves. The £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing is the most ambitious in a generation, and planning reforms will unlock growth. Together with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which was passed by this Labour Government and comes into force next month, it represents not just policy change, but a long-term commitment to rebuilding a housing system that works.

Young people, particularly 25 to 34-year olds, are disproportionately more likely to rent, as is already clear from the debate, so they are highly vulnerable to high housing costs. Regulating rental increases will significantly benefit young people, providing greater housing stability and increasing financial predictability. I often talk about ensuring that, when we build homes, the infrastructure that communities need is in place, and I would like to talk about partnerships in delivery.

In Derby, we have seen at first hand the role that organisations such as the YMCA play in supporting young people into safe, stable housing. The Foundry Point development, opening in the next couple of weeks, is one such example. Once fully developed, it will support young people aged 18 to 30 with 60 affordable, self-contained flats on land that forms part of the Rolls-Royce estate. It is about not just providing a roof, but enabling independence, employment and long-term stability, and it is possible because of the partnership between the YMCA, Homes England, Rolls-Royce, community groups and individuals donating and fundraising to help keep rents affordable. The Minister would be very welcome to come and visit.

With ambitions to deliver 10,000 affordable homes, YMCA and similar organisations will be vital partners in meeting the Government’s housing goals, particularly when it comes to creating genuinely affordable homes for younger people. As such, the Government continuing to engage with charitable providers, so that 100%-affordable housing projects get support, will help to ensure that the needs of young people are sufficiently recognised.

It is clear that this Government are serious about tackling the housing crisis, and about who it is hitting hardest. Government plans are essential, because they are quite literally building the foundations of a housing system that will work for the next generation. We must all play our part to ensure that they succeed. With Derby College Group becoming one of the new construction technical excellence colleges, we are ensuring the skills we need to build those foundations.