Our reaction to the Autumn Budget

“The additional funding for social and affordable housing is welcome, giving providers more opportunity to bring forward developments and plan for the future. What matters now is turning that investment into the homes people and communities need.

“Giving mayors more say over housing investment could make it easier to meet specific local needs, and success will depend on strong partnerships between councils, housing associations, developers and investors. Housing associations bring expertise in assembling land, securing finance and managing development that can help these partnerships deliver. The new VAT relief on land sales to registered social housing providers could support that work by enabling earlier site acquisitions and easing cashflow pressures on land-led schemes.

“The real measure of success will be whether devolved decision-making delivers the right mix of homes for local people. While the government is right to prioritise social and affordable rent, they’re only part of the picture. The announced changes to shared ownership show that the government recognises this. We now need the same ambition for other ways of delivering homes, such as community-led housing."