Backed by £39 billion in funding, the Social and Affordable Homes Programme will devolve spending authority for new housebuilding outside London.
The scheme aims to deliver 180,000 homes nationwide, with a minimum of 60% designated for social rent. Areas including Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and the North East are among those expected to benefit from the shift in control.
The new Housing secretary Steve Reed claims: “Families have been trapped in so-called temporary accommodation for years or stuck on council waiting lists with no hope of a secure home.
“We’re changing that for good with the biggest boost to social housebuilding in a generation and getting behind mayors who are ready to build affordable housing across their regions.
“We’re also backing councils to build again and transform derelict sites into thriving neighbourhoods, urging them to go big, go bold and go build.”
The government’s flagship Social and Affordable Homes Programme is being positioned as a central pillar of its ‘Plan for Change’—a commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.
To accelerate delivery, councils will from next year be permitted to combine grant funding with receipts from Right to Buy sales, unlocking additional investment for new development.
Ministers are also preparing to notify local authorities of their initial allocations under the latest £950 million round of the Local Authority Housing Fund. The funding is intended to boost the supply of high-quality temporary accommodation for homeless families and reduce reliance on expensive B&B placements.
The government has announced a £150 million investment to convert disused brownfield sites into more than 4,000 homes across England. Funding will be allocated directly to mayoral strategic authorities to accelerate regeneration and housing delivery.
According to ministers, the initiative will “unlock left-behind sites and create jobs, paving the way for more local families and working people to step onto the housing ladder.”
Chief executive Amy Rees of the Homes England, says: “The importance of this funding cannot be underestimated in opening the door to thousands of new, affordable homes for communities across the country – and we will do everything in our power to ensure every penny of grant allocation helps deliver the right homes in the right places, at pace, for the people who need them.
“Our team is incredibly proud and driven to help create a new generation of affordable and social rent homes, working alongside local leaders who know their communities best, and providers who have the expertise and commitment to deliver with our support.”