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Homes England’s ‘muscular’ approach presents challenges and opportunities for social landlords

The Homes England approach of using strategic partnerships is a stark departure from previous programmes, writes Emma Maier 

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Picture: Getty
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Homes England's 'muscular' approach is a challenge for #ukhousing providers, argues @EmmaMaier @HomesEngland @HomesNickW

"It is up to landlords to show what they can do to deliver more homes, more quickly" @EmmaMaier writes about the @HomesEngland announcements this week #ukhousing

If there is one word government would like you to use to describe Homes England, it is “muscular”.

Last November, then-communities secretary Sajid Javid implored Homes England to be “less cautious, to be more aggressive, and to be more muscular”.

In the spring, prime minster Theresa May talked of giving Homes England a “more muscular, proactive role”. Former housing minister Alok Sharma used similar language.

The agency certainly seems to have read the memo.

This month, it has made its largest land acquisition to date at a site in Mid Sussex, announced a joint venture with Kier and Cross Keys Homes to build 5,400 homes in the next decade, released a land development and disposal plan and interactive map, and announced eight strategic partnerships with housing associations to deliver 14,280 affordable homes by 2022.


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The partnerships follow through on Mr Walkley’s pledge. Speaking to Inside Housing in January, he outlined plans to move away from a “parent and child” relationship in favour of striking strategic deals. In this first wave, Homes England will invest £590m. The associations will build 23,500 homes, of which 60% – 14,280 – will be affordable.

A second wave of partnerships are promised shortly, possibly with consortia as well as individual landlords.

The approach is a stark departure and goes some way towards responding to criticism from landlords, who had been increasingly turning away from the Affordable Homes Programme in recent years.

Crucially, the deals represent greater flexibility; firstly flexibility over a programme of several developments rather than a single scheme, and secondly flexibility on tenure.

Mr Walkley argues that focusing at programme level should put the emphasis on build-out rates and momentum, which in turn will drive up delivery of social and other rented tenures (reflecting key parts of the recent Letwin Review).

There remain questions over the degree of focus on social rent, particularly after government focused its council borrowing cap programme on the areas with the greatest gap between social and market rents – a somewhat questionable measure.

Nevertheless, after several years of government and Homes England’s predecessor the Homes and Communities Agency pushing for landlords to convert social rent to affordable rent, this is a significant moment.

"Now is the time for landlords to make a stronger case for social rented homes"

The change in approach throws a challenge out to landlords. It is up to landlords to show what they can do to deliver more homes, more quickly – and that they can build more for social and affordable rent.

This will require greater collaboration to realise the ambition and capacity of smaller organisations. It will require a step change.

It also creates an opportunity. Now is the time for landlords to make a stronger case for social rented homes, including in areas outside the government’s narrow definition of “affordability pressure”.

With councils warning of serious social rent shortages, there is no time to lose.

Emma Maier, editor, Inside Housing

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