Business & Finance
UK government details regional funding for 70,000 social and affordable homes
Ministers announced allocations under a £39bn plan, but opposition critics and charities cited long delays and insufficient supply.
The short version
- The UK government announced funding allocations to build 70,000 social and affordable homes across London and northern and midland English regions over 10 years, part of a broader £39bn plan to build 300,000 homes.
- Sixty percent of the newly designated units are scheduled for social rent, which typically costs about half of market rates.
- Housing charities stated the measures remain insufficient to clear the backlog of 1.34 million households on waiting lists, while the Conservative opposition called the plan an unfunded commitment that stretches delivery to 2039.
- The government has yet to clarify how the remaining funding will be split between local councils and housing associations.
Key facts
- Ministers announced regional allocations for the first 70,000 social and affordable homes under a 10-year, £39bn housing programme in England.[BBC News]
- Funding recipients include London—which was allocated £6bn—as well as Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, and Liverpool.[BBC News]
- Sixty percent of the initial 70,000 homes are slated for social rent.[BBC News]
- Official statistics from March 2025 indicated that 1.34 million households were on social housing waiting lists in England.[BBC News]
- Conservative Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly criticized the initiative as an unfunded commitment, arguing that the small print allows delivery to extend until 2039.[BBC News]
- Housing charity Shelter welcomed the extra funding as an improvement but stated it falls well short of the level required to address homelessness and clear the waiting backlog.[BBC News]