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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Department overview

Formed	May 2006 (as the Department for Communities and Local Government)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	2 Marsham Street, London, England and i9, Railway Drive, Wolverhampton, England
Annual budget	£28.1 billion (current) & £3.5 billion (capital) for 2011–12
Secretary of State responsible	Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Department executive	Sarah Healey, Permanent Secretary

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a special part of the Government of the United Kingdom. It helps manage important things like homes, communities, and how local areas are run in England. This department started in May 2006. It took over from an earlier office that began in 2001. The main office for MHCLG is in 2 Marsham Street in London. It shares this building with another important government department, the Home Office.

Other parts of the UK, like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, have their own departments. These departments handle similar tasks for their own regions.

Understanding the Ministry of Housing
- What the Ministry Does
- Who Leads the Ministry?
  - Key Leaders and Their Roles
A Look at the Ministry's Journey
What the Ministry is Responsible For
- Helping with Homes and Communities
- Modernizing Town Planning
Working with Other Groups
- Partner Agencies
- Other Important Organizations
How Government Works Across the UK
- Similar Departments in Other UK Nations
See also

Understanding the Ministry of Housing

What the Ministry Does

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) works to make sure people have good places to live. It also helps communities grow and thrive. This includes supporting local councils across England. Their goal is to improve daily life for everyone.

Who Leads the Ministry?

The MHCLG has several leaders called ministers. These ministers are in charge of different areas of the department's work. The most important minister is the Secretary of State.

Key Leaders and Their Roles

Here are some of the main ministers at MHCLG:

Minister	Office	What They Do
Steve Reed MP	Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government	Oversees all the department's work and main goals.
Jim McMahon MP	Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution	Manages how local areas and regions in England are run. Handles local money matters and planning.
Matthew Pennycook MP	Minister of State for Housing and Planning	Works on building new homes and improving housing rules. Helps people buy homes and supports social housing.
Alex Norris MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth	Focuses on making buildings safe and fire prevention. Supports local areas in growing and developing.
Vacant	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Democracy	Works on helping people who are homeless. Also looks after housing quality and community support.
Lord Khan of Burnley	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement	Helps communities and different faith groups work together. Supports people who are resettling in the UK.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government	Helps with housing plans and working with local governments. Focuses on energy efficiency in homes.

The top civil servant, who helps run the department day-to-day, is the Permanent Secretary. This role is held by Sarah Healey, who started in February 2023.

A Look at the Ministry's Journey

How the Ministry Started

The MHCLG began its journey in July 2001. It was first known as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). At that time, John Prescott was the Deputy Prime Minister. In May 2002, the ODPM became its own department. It took over tasks related to local government and regions.

Important Changes Over Time

In May 2006, the department changed its name. It became the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Ruth Kelly was the first person to lead it with the title of Secretary of State. Later, in January 2018, it was renamed again to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). In September 2021, it was briefly called the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This change aimed to give it more power to manage funds across the whole United Kingdom. However, on 8 July 2024, it returned to its current name, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In February 2021, the government announced a big change. MHCLG would be the first government department to have a main office outside London. Five hundred jobs, including senior staff, moved to Wolverhampton by 2025. This move was part of a plan to spread government work across the country. The new Wolverhampton office officially opened on 10 September 2021.

There have been several changes in government leadership over the years. For example, in July 2022, many ministers in the department changed roles. Michael Gove was reappointed as Secretary of State in October 2022. Following the 2024 General Election, Angela Rayner became Secretary of State on 5 July 2024. Then, on 5 September 2025, Steve Reed became the new Secretary of State.

The "Levelling Up" Idea

In September 2021, a special team was created. It was called the Levelling Up Taskforce. This team worked on a policy called "Levelling Up." The main idea was to make opportunities more equal across the UK.

This policy included several goals:

Investing money in towns, cities, and rural areas.
Giving local areas more say in how money is spent.
Improving skills through apprenticeships and training programs.
Supporting farming and fishing industries.
Creating special economic zones called freeports to help struggling communities.

Past Leaders: Secretaries of State

Here is a list of the people who have led the department as Secretary of State:

David Miliband 11 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Ruth Kelly 5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
Hazel Blears 27 June 2007 – 5 June 2009
John Denham 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Eric Pickles 12 May 2010 – 11 May 2015
Greg Clark 11 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Sajid Javid 13 July 2016 – 30 April 2018
James Brokenshire 30 April 2018 – 24 July 2019
Robert Jenrick 24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021
Michael Gove 15 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Greg Clark 7 July 2022 – 6 September 2022
Simon Clarke 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022
Michael Gove 25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Angela Rayner 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025
Steve Reed 5 September 2025 – present

What the Ministry is Responsible For

The MHCLG is in charge of several important policies, mainly in England.

Helping with Homes and Communities

Building Rules: Setting standards for how buildings are constructed.
Community Spirit: Helping different groups in communities get along.
Disaster Preparedness: Making sure communities are ready for floods or bad weather.
Local Power: Giving more decision-making power to local areas in England.
Housing: Working on policies related to homes and where people live.
Local Government: Supporting and guiding local councils.
Town Planning: Deciding how towns and cities grow and develop.
Fairness for Everyone: Promoting equal treatment for all people.
City Renewal: Improving older or run-down parts of cities.

Modernizing Town Planning

MHCLG teams are working to make town planning easier and more digital. They have funded projects to help local councils use technology. This makes planning processes faster and more efficient.

Working with Other Groups

The MHCLG works with many other organizations to achieve its goals.

Partner Agencies

These are groups that work closely with the department:

Planning Inspectorate: This agency handles appeals about planning decisions.
Queen Elizabeth II Centre: A conference and exhibition venue in London.

Some agencies that used to be part of MHCLG have moved. For example, Ordnance Survey moved to another department in 2011. The Fire Service College was sold in 2013.

Other Important Organizations

In 2007, plans were made to combine several housing and regeneration groups. This led to the creation of the Homes and Communities Agency. This agency helps build new homes and improve areas. The department also worked with the Local Government Association. Together, they created strategies to help local councils improve their services.

How Government Works Across the UK

The UK has a system called devolution. This means different parts of the UK have their own governments. These governments have departments that do similar work to MHCLG.

Similar Departments in Other UK Nations

Scotland: Has Directorates for Communities, Learning, and Justice.
Northern Ireland: Has several departments covering similar areas. These include the Executive Office, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Department of Finance, Department of Health, and Department for Communities.
Wales: The Welsh Government has a Department for Local Government and Public Services.