We are not convinced that MHCLG is taking the potential impact of its remediation plans on wider housebuilding targets seriously enough. The government has pledged to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. The construction sector is reporting workforce shortages. There is a risk that MHCLG’s approach to remediation could negatively impact the delivery of this target, and the construction of affordable housing in particular. Paying for remediation works risks diverting social housing providers’ resources away from building new housing. Housing associations in London are reporting a 90% drop in social housing starts over the last year. There are also concerns that the cost to developers of the Building Safety Levy may further reduce the supply of affordable housing. MHCLG has not published an impact assessment of these policies on the viability of housebuilding, claiming both that it expects the impact to be small and that it is likely to be affected by too many other factors. recommendation MHCLG should, by the end of 2025, publish a formal assessment of the impact of its remediation policies (including the Building Safety Levy) on housebuilding projections in both the social and private sectors and what action needs to be taken to ensure the building of 1.5 million homes is not affected by these policies. 8 1 Accelerating remediation Introduction