Homes England has significantly exceeded its 2023-24 housing delivery targets, demonstrating the agency’s pivotal role in supporting housing growth, economic regeneration, and community renewal across England. The latest figures show that the government’s housing accelerator enabled the construction of over 41,000 new homes, surpassing its internal forecast by more than 10%.
In total, 41,149 new homes were started or completed through Homes England programmes in the year ending March 2024, highlighting a sustained increase in output despite industry challenges including labour shortages, inflationary pressures, and planning delays.
Affordable Housing Boost: Thousands of Homes for Rent and Shared Ownership
A core focus of the delivery was the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), which alone accounted for 33,345 new housing starts and completions. Within that total:
- 25,721 homes were delivered specifically for affordable rent or shared ownership.
- 7,624 homes fell under other tenures, including Rent to Buy and social rent.
This substantial delivery volume reaffirms the agency’s role in tackling the housing crisis by enabling more people to access quality, secure, and affordable homes in their local areas.
Key Output by Tenure (2023–24)
Strategic Land and Infrastructure: Unlocking Development at Scale
Beyond affordable homes, Homes England has made major strides in unlocking large-scale strategic sites and supporting enabling infrastructure through its Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) and Land Assembly Fund.
In 2023-24:
- Over 7,800 homes were delivered through strategic land investment.
- Critical infrastructure—roads, utilities, flood defences—was installed to unlock thousands of future homes.
- The Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund (BILF) and Levelling Up Home Building Fund (LUHBF) collectively mobilised over £1.2 billion in development finance and infrastructure grants.
Driving Housing Growth in Levelling Up Priority Areas
Homes England’s intervention has been strategically aligned with the government’s Levelling Up agenda, with targeted investment in northern cities, the Midlands, and coastal communities where market failure has historically constrained housing supply.
Notable highlights include:
- Regeneration schemes in Bradford, Wolverhampton, and Hull.
- £300 million investment in brownfield remediation to bring derelict sites back into productive use.
- Expansion of SME housebuilder support through the Levelling Up Home Building Fund, enabling over 170 small developers to access working capital.
Delivering Specialist and Supported Housing
Specialist housing has also been prioritised. In the last year:
- Over 1,100 new supported housing units were delivered for vulnerable groups including older people, those with disabilities, and people facing homelessness.
- Collaboration with local authorities led to the release of surplus public land for custom and self-build housing.
Strong Pipeline Positions Agency for 2024–25 Success
Homes England enters the new financial year with a strong delivery pipeline:
- Over 67,000 homes are contracted under the current Affordable Homes Programme (2021–26).
- The agency has committed over £5 billion in long-term investment through joint ventures with housing associations, local councils, and private developers.
It continues to focus on:
- Expanding modular and modern methods of construction (MMC).
- Supporting net zero-aligned housing developments.
- Strengthening the role of local partnerships in shaping place-led development.
A Year of Outperformance and Impact
Homes England’s performance over the past year not only exceeded numerical targets but also reflected a wider socio-economic impact—from creating jobs and apprenticeships to enhancing local infrastructure and community cohesion.
As the government continues to place housing delivery at the centre of its economic and social agenda, Homes England’s role as a delivery partner of choice is becoming ever more critical.
Sources:
- Homes England Annual Housing Statistics (2023–24)
- Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
- National Housing Federation Policy Briefs
