The government has announced a new funding package to support the delivery of affordable housing via the Social and Affordable Homes Programme’s (SAHP) Council Housebuilding Support Fund (CHSF)
The affordable housing fund is targeted at councils and local authorities, allowing them to apply for a share of the £21.8m fund.
The funds are available until March 2029, and will go towards helping build the skills, capacity, and partnerships needed to strengthen the SAHP.
The funds can support different aspects
When applying for funding support, councils can use it for helping:
- Knowledge and skills development
- Housing pipeline development
- Pre-development and enabling activities
- Partnership working
- Additional staffing capacity
Bidding opened yesterday, and is open until 2 November, with decisions being made in December. Further bidding rounds will open in April 2027 and 2028.
The funds form a part of the larger £46m Capacity to Build support package announced last month.
Housing secretary, Angela Rayner, said: “Councils will be at the heart of the biggest housebuilding revival in decades, but we know many lack the capacity and expertise to turn plans into reality.
“This funding will help councils build the skills, capacity and partnerships needed to make the most of our historic £39 billion investment.
“By putting councils back in the driving seat, we’re helping more families find a safe, secure place they can call home.”
Shahi Islam, director of affordable housing at Homes England, said: “The Council Housebuilding Support Fund is a strong example of how Homes England is enabling locally led housing delivery and helping councils unlock more affordable homes for their communities.
“We will continue to lead engagement with councils, manage the application process and make investment recommendations to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), helping local authorities turn housing ambitions into deliverable projects funded by SAHP.”
Those interested can apply here.
There have been calls to boost affordable housing
In July last year, the Community Land Trust Network (CLTN) called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to use the windfall created by an investigation into seven major housebuilders to invest in affordable housing.
The investigation yielded £100m, after Barratt Redrow, Bellway, Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, and Vistry were all accused of potential anti-competitive practices in the housing market, such as discussing sales pricing and buyer’s incentives.
Tom Chance, chief executive of the Community Land Trust Network, said: “We believe the CMA should see this investigation through to its conclusion. But if the settlement is accepted, then this money must be used to diversify the housing market and tackle gaps the market leaves behind. Community-led housing focuses on long-term community benefit, so it can take on sites that mainstream developers often overlook.
“With the right support, these projects can complement the wider market and bring forward homes that would otherwise never happen.”
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