Homes England invites housing providers to submit proposals to a new 10-year programme designed to prioritise social rent, mixed-tenure developments and sustainable design
Homes England has opened applications for its long-term Social and Affordable Homes Programme, a major push to deliver large numbers of genuinely affordable homes across England. The programme focuses on social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership so households priced out of the private market can access stable, affordable homes.
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers.
By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.
Updated guidance for bidders
Alongside the funding, Homes England has published refreshed bidding guidance that spells out clearer expectations.
The updated guidance highlights quality, deliverability and value for money while encouraging projects that strengthen local communities and contribute to broader housing goals.
Key priorities in the guidance include:
– Design, safety and sustainability: bids must show how proposals meet high standards and deliver long-term environmental and social benefits. – Strong evidence of deliverability: applicants should provide robust, measurable plans demonstrating projects will be completed on time and to the required standard. – Alignment with local and national priorities: proposals should fit local strategies as well as national policy aims.
Accessing the funding: two routes
There are two routes to apply, each suited to different delivery models and risk appetites.
1) Continuous Market Engagement (CME) CME allows partners to bring forward schemes on a case-by-case basis throughout the programme. It’s aimed at flexible, locally driven projects and is helpful for smaller or medium-sized schemes that need grant certainty without long-term contractual commitments.
2) Strategic Partnership Framework This route is for organisations that can operate at scale and pace. It offers multi-year funding certainty and allows Homes England to commit larger funding packages to partners capable of delivering high-volume programmes. Long-term partnerships like this can reduce transactional friction and support more coherent delivery from acquisition through handover.
Core expectations for bids
To be competitive, proposals must present clear implementation plans and measurable outcomes. Key requirements include:
– At least 60% of homes offered as social rent, reflecting a focus on the lowest-cost tenure. – Realistic delivery timetables with stage gates and named responsibilities. – A risk register with mitigation actions and a benefits-realisation plan. – Measurable KPIs (for example, build rate per quarter, proportion of accessible units, maintenance reserve adequacy, and carbon intensity per dwelling). – Evidence of value for money and plans for long-term maintenance and management.
Homes England will favour bids that tie funding to quantifiable milestones and outcomes. Proposals that combine strong social impact with operational efficiency—backed by baseline data, projected trajectories and contingency triggers—will score most highly.
Quality, sustainability and community impact
The programme is about more than unit numbers. Homes England is looking for mixed-tenure neighbourhoods that embed sustainability into design and construction, and that include robust safety and management arrangements. Successful developments should contribute to thriving communities: consider how homes will support social integration, reduce energy demand and remain manageable over the long term.
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers. By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.0
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers. By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.1
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers. By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.2
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers. By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.3
What’s on offer
Homes England is making at least £27 billion available as part of a wider £39 billion commitment to boost social and affordable housing. The funding is intended to unlock large-scale schemes and speed up delivery by fostering partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and private developers. By shifting from short-term fixes to decade-long planning, the programme aims to reduce the stop-start nature of construction cycles and give providers and councils greater certainty over future supply.4
