Birmingham Housing Strategy 2023-2028

The Birmingham Housing Strategy 2023‑2028 is a policy document produced by Birmingham City Council, authored by Sharon Thompson, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness. It sets out the council’s vision of “right home, right place, right time” and outlines how the city will address housing demand, affordability, quality and sustainability over the next five years.

Birmingham aims to deliver 51,100 new homes by 2031, of which 19,400 must be affordable. The strategy targets 2,850 new dwellings and 1,083 affordable units over the next five years, alongside a refreshed Local Plan due in 2026. Current stock includes just under 60,000 council‑owned properties, with an average age of 70 years and 213 high‑rise blocks, many requiring retro‑fitting to meet modern energy standards.

The council has earmarked £33 million for fire‑safety upgrades and plans to invest £346 million through the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust to deliver around 3,000 new homes over the next decade. Additional commitments include £x (unspecified) for stock improvement, targeted retrofit funding, and leveraging national grants such as the Home Revenue Account and the Housing Revenue Account to meet the net‑zero target by 2030.

A central pillar is the “Route to Zero” commitment, with a goal of decarbonising the entire housing stock by 2030. The strategy highlights the need to retrofit 30 % of council stock within five years, upgrade E/F/G‑rated EPCs, and deliver a pilot retrofit of 300 homes in East Birmingham. The plan aligns with the UK Climate Change Act and the city’s broader “Bolder, Brighter Birmingham” objectives.

Key partners include Homes England, the West Midlands Combined Authority, and a network of 21 registered providers (e.g., BMHT, Midland Heart, Clarion). The document stresses joint‑working across health, digital inclusion and financial inclusion programmes to improve outcomes for vulnerable households and to integrate housing with wider public‑service delivery.

• Deliver 51,100 homes by 2031 (19,400 affordable).
• Complete 2,850 new dwellings and 1,083 affordable units in five years.
• Retrofit 30 % of council stock and achieve EPC C or better for E/F/G properties.
• Reduce temporary accommodation from 4,000 households to lower levels, eliminating B&B accommodation by 2024/25.
• Increase the proportion of affordable homes within 20 % of the Local Housing Allowance rate, currently only a handful of 4‑bedroom units meet this threshold.

The strategy recognises Birmingham’s status as the 3rd most deprived core city in the UK, with 90 % of wards below the national average on the Index of Multiple Deprivation. It commits to expanding sheltered housing, improving fuel‑poverty support, and embedding early‑intervention models to reduce homelessness, especially for families with dependent children.

A dedicated governance structure, including a Housing Strategy Delivery Board and annual reporting through the City Observatory, will monitor progress. The council will continue to use data from stock condition surveys, private‑sector assessments and the Birmingham Social Housing Partnership to inform investment decisions.