Homes England chair says the figures reflect the conclusion of the recent Public Bodies review and the “effectiveness and efficiency” of the agency
Provisional figures from Homes England indicate that it has exceeded its key government-set housebuilding targets for the past year.
In 2023/24, Homes England reported that it not only surpassed its targets for housing completions and starts but also unlocked more land for housing delivery than required by its targets.
The housing and regeneration body has also facilitated the start of construction for 35,000 new homes, going beyond the target to enable 32,967 starts.
Working in partnership with local, regional and national organisations to “catalyse” housing, regeneration and placemaking, Homes England has enabled the completion of more than 32,000 homes, surpassing the target of 29,641.
The agency had previously missed its delivery targets for 2022/23 and 2021/22.
Homes England has said that 87% of the completions it enabled in the past year have achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B or above.
The final data will be published in June as part of Homes England’s annual report.
The agency has said that the majority of the increase in housing supply has been affordable homes and that through targeted partnerships with housing associations and local authorities, it is “fully confident” it will spend its share of the Government’s Affordable Housing Programme 2021-26.
Homes England says it has made “significant progress” against its widened remit and focus on regeneration and placemaking by leveraging its authority, land, capital, and technical expertise.
It has delivered housing and regeneration schemes in “priority places” including Barrow, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Plymouth, Salford, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, and York.
In 2023/24, the body established three Strategic Place Partnerships (SPPs) in South and West Yorkshire and the West Midlands. The new partnerships join existing SPPs in Greater Manchester and Essex.
>> See also: ‘Good, but not perfect’ – What next for Homes England?
>> See also: Home Truths podcast: In conversation with Peter Freeman at Homes England
In April this year, the findings from a public bodies review of Homes England conducted by PwC’s Tony Poulter identified that Homes England should be authorised to “take more risk” and “be even bolder” by playing the role of master developer on large regeneration and placemaking schemes.
Speaking to Housing Today, Poulter summarised that “Homes England is good, but it is not perfect”.
On Building’s podcast, Home Truths, Peter Freeman, chair of Homes England, emphasised that “despite the name [Homes England], we don’t build any homes”, adding that the agency is there to “intervene where there is market failure, and there’s lots of people willing and able to build homes”.
On the housing starts and completions figures, Freeman said: “The performance demonstrated in these provisional figures is evidence of Homes England’s impact which is being felt across the country, helping to ensure that more people have a home in a safe, sustainable, thriving community.
“The figures also further acknowledge the conclusion of a recent Public Bodies Review of the Homes England: there is no doubt in the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency and that we are crucial to the delivery of government housing, regeneration and levelling up priorities.”
Peter Denton, chief executive of Homes England expressed gratitude to staff at the agency “who have worked tirelessly to ensure Homes England met - and in most areas exceeded - its annual targets across 2023/24”.
He added: “Thanks to them – and the huge network of organisations we work in partnership with – we made strides in advancing our mission to create more places where people can live, work and thrive, helping more children and young people out of temporary accommodation and ultimately driving greater social justice and equity for society.”
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