Andy Burnham wants the “biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period” and proposes pivoting the government’s existing £39bn housing budget entirely to council homes. He has not defined the postwar benchmark; in the 1950s councils built just under 190,000 homes a year, peaking at 191,000 in 1968, yet last year English authorities delivered only 10,500 affordable homes.

Capacity is a major hurdle. Councils have not built at scale for decades, the Right to Buy policy erased more than 2 million units, and only 162 of 317 English councils now own or build housing. Experts say housing associations must stay involved.

The term “council house” implies social rents (~50 % of market), which are costlier than the current “affordable” rents (up to 80 %). Shifting the £39bn programme to social rent would raise costs 20‑25 % to roughly £48bn, or cut 60‑75 k homes. Meanwhile housing benefit hit £38bn in 2025‑26 and temporary accommodation costs have surged.

Advisers suggest extra borrowing via a National Housing Bank, but much of the £39bn is already committed by Homes England and the programme is back‑loaded past 2029. Even within Burnham’s team there is disagreement over how much can be delivered solely by councils.