Clarity on funding post-2026 needed, says JV North
A North West-based housing consortium has warned of a housebuilding slowdown if funding certainty is not provided beyond the end of the current Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).
There are less than two years left of the current £11.5bn scheme, which is managed by Homes England and has been running since 2021.
According to JV North, which is comprised of 13 housing associations and local authority members, developments of more than 50 homes or those that take longer than 12 months are now at risk.
Schemes like the AHP typically overlap, with the last two running from 2018 to 2021 and then 2021 to 2026 allowing housebuilding to carry on unabated.
However, no announcement was made in last month’s budget.
JV North, which has invested more than £1bn in partnership with Home England, says funding certainty is vital for board approval at a time when financial viability is under heavy scrutiny.
John Bowker, the group’s chair, said: “If we do not receive news of the next Affordable Homes Programme soon, there is a danger we will have a fallow period where housebuilding stalls.
“The current programme runs to the end of March 2026 and while circa two years away, it is just around the corner in housebuilding construction terms.”
He added that larger developments would “start to become questionable due to the length of time they take to build coupled with not knowing if the remaining funding will be available when they complete”.
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“Without certainty, housing association boards will be nervous about approving schemes and it could cause a slowdown in delivery – something the country can ill afford given housing shortages and record-high homelessness,” said Bowker.
“There is an urgency now for the sector to receive confirmation the Affordable Homes Programme will be extended, the length of the new term and details of the size of the fund available.”
JV North members are Bury Council, Cobalt Housing, Johnnie Johnson Housing, One Manchester, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Muir Group, Plus Dane Housing, South Liverpool Homes, Sovini, Stockport Homes, Torus, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
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