Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

In July 2024 the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) was renamed back to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as it had been called prior to September 2021. September 2021, saw the MHCLG being renamed and becoming the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities DLUHC.

On 1 April 2025 ministerial responsibility for all fire functions moved from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), a change that was considered by the government as delivering on a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, which advised that fire and building safety should be overseen by a single department.

[edit] Responsibilities of MHCLG

The updated list of ministerial responsibilities published by the cabinet office in March 2025 describes responsibilities of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to include:

• Strategic Oversight of Department’s Business and Policy, including:
  • Housing and planning
  • Local government and English devolution
  • Regional and local growth
  • Communities and faith
  • Democracy and elections
• Public Appointments
• Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, including:
  • Chair, Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
  • Cross-governmental coordination of policy to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping

[edit] Background to name changes

At the time of reverting the name from DLUHC back to MHCLG in July 2024, Minister McMahon told BBC Breakfast the phrase was "only ever a slogan" and was now being "firmly Tippex-ed out of the department". "We are now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government," he said. "It is a reshaping of the department. It is a refocus, but frankly it is also just grown up politics."

In response a Conservative spokesperson said the levelling up agenda had been "transformative for towns across the country, giving communities that Labour took for granted when they were last in office the investment they deserve. "Labour’s decision to scrap levelling up will be a disaster for these towns, and their refusal to rule out clawing back £1bn of Conservative funding from local communities for Labour politicians to spend in Westminster puts the future of our communities at risk." The former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also accused Labour of "a lack of ambition and a failure to believe in this country’s potential".

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP, said of the original name change back in September 2021 "I’m thrilled that the PM has asked me to lead the Levelling Up agenda, the defining mission of this government. With a superb team of ministers and officials in a new department, our relentless focus will be on delivering for those overlooked families and undervalued communities across the United Kingdom. We have a unique opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives."

For more information see: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Ref https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ambitious-plans-to-drive-levelling-up-agenda

In January 2018, as part of a Cabinet reshuffle, it was announced that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) would be renamed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The role of 'Communities Secretary' was renamed 'Housing Secretary', although otherwise remained unchanged, and the activities of MHCLG remained the same as DCLG.

These changes were intended to reflect the government's commitment to tackle the housing crisis, following the Autumn Budget 2017 announcement that the government would deliver 300,000 additional homes a year by the mid-2020s, the biggest annual increase in housing supply since 1970.

Chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), Brian Berry said; “The inclusion of the word ‘housing’ sends a clear signal as to the importance the government places on housing policy... However, actions always speak louder than words, which is why it is vital that we also see continuity, application and a continued willingness to be bold where necessary in housing policy.”

Chief executive of NHBC, Steve Wood said; “NHBC welcomes the prime minister’s commitment at the start of 2018 to addressing the challenges faced by the housing sector, reflected in the secretary of state’s new job title and renamed department. We look forward to continuing our positive relationship with Sajid Javid and his department. NHBC remains committed to helping the industry to deliver the high quality new homes that consumers deserve and that the country needs.”

On 30 April 2018, the Housing Secretary Sajid Javid was replaced by James Brokenshire.

Brokenshire was Northern Ireland Secretary until he resigned in January 2018 due to medical treatment to remove a lung tumour. Having served in the post of Housing Secretary since July 2016, Javid was moved to the position of Home Secretary after the resignation of Amber Rudd following the Windrush scandal.

Brokenshire said; "I am determined to get Britain building the homes our country needs so everyone can afford a place to call their own. One of my top priorities is going to be ensuring everyone affected by the Grenfell Tower fire gets the support they need and we learn lessons from the tragedy so something like this can never happen again."

Robert Jenrick, MP for Newark, replaced James Brokenshire on 24 July 2019. He was previously Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 9 January 2018.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Autumn Budget 2017.
• Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC).
• Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK.
• Construction minister.
• Construction sector deal.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
• English Housing Survey 2018-19 reports released.
• Housing minister.
• Industrial Strategy: building a Britain fit for the future.
• Landbanking.
• Levelling up.
• Manual to the Building Regulations
• Planning Delivery Fund.
• Proposed changes: MHCLG consultation on house building statistics.
• The future of the planning system in England.
• Transforming Infrastructure Performance.
• Transport infrastructure efficiency strategy.

Comments

Its Dominic Raab not Alok Raab.

--Thanks, Ed.