Should the government boost social and affordable housing capacity to revive UK housebuilding?

UK housebuilding is in a weak state, with quarterly starts dropping significantly since late 2023, making the government's 1.5 million homes target over the parliament likely to be missed. A primary cause is soft demand from residential buyers, private landlords, and social housing providers, driven by high interest rates straining affordability and investment cases. Addressing this requires government action to strengthen social and affordable housing capacity.