Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Paragraph: 53
There is compelling evidence that England needs at least 90,000 net additional social rent homes...
Recommendation
There is compelling evidence that England needs at least 90,000 net additional social rent homes a year. We recommend that the Government publishes annual net addition targets for the following tenures: social rent, affordable rent, intermediate rent and affordable homeownership. This will improve transparency and accountability of the Government’s record on affordable housing. It will also make clear the contribution affordable housing will make to the Government’s 300,000 new homes per year target. This is crucial as housebuilding in England has only ever surpassed 300,000 in a year when social housing has made a significant contribution.
Paragraph Reference:
53
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We have supported the delivery of over 486,600 new affordable homes since 2010 despite fiscal constraints and we are determined to do more, which is why we have extended the existing Affordable Homes Programme by one year. This will save homes that would otherwise have been lost following site closures due to Covid-19. While we do not place a specific figure on the number of affordable houses which need to be built every year, we are committed not only to increasing the supply of new affordable homes, but ensuring that we build the right homes in the right places. In 2018-19 241,130 net addition homes were delivered, and the supply of new affordable housing makes a significant contribution (almost 24% for 2018-19) to overall housing supply in England. This is why we have launched the new £11.5bn Affordable Homes Programme which will run from 2021/22 to 2025/26, to deliver up to 180,000 affordable homes, a minority of which will be supported through long-term investment and delivered up to 2028/29. The NPPF is also clear that local authorities should identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies.