Seek Application for Council Housebuilding Support Finance
The Council Housebuilding Support Fund, overseen by Homes England, is now open for applications, offering a £5.5 million funding opportunity to councils in England (excluding London) to prepare and submit bids for the Affordable Homes Programme more effectively. The application window opens on 3 July 2025 and closes at 11.59pm on 22 August 2025, or when the funding is fully committed.
The fund aims to support councils in delivering more new affordable homes, developing plans that maximize social rent homes, and addressing regional affordable housing priorities. Successful applicants will enter into a standard form of grant funding arrangement and will be contacted from September 2025.
Applications should show how proposals will better equip councils to bring forward bids for the Affordable Homes Programme from April 2026 onwards. Proposals could include activities such as knowledge development, pipeline development, pre-development and enabling work, partnership working, and additional staffing.
Eligibility criteria for councils to apply for the fund are primarily linked to reforms around the Right to Buy scheme and wider council housebuilding strategies. Key eligibility points include tenants having been secure public sector tenants for at least 10 years before qualifying for Right to Buy, the government's commitment to backing council housebuilding with funding and capacity-building programmes, and councils reinvigorating housebuilding by using flexible funding arrangements.
It is essential to note that the fund cannot support applications for costs that can be capitalized to the project, costs that can be funded through other means, or funding for day-to-day expenditure. Guidance for successful applicants is available, and the application process is hosted on Microsoft Forms, with no option to save progress. It is recommended to have all information prepared in advance before starting the application.
Regional contacts for the team are listed on the Homes England website, with contacts available for the South East (Nick Enge), Midlands (Steven Parkin), North East, Yorkshire, and Humber, and North West (Graham Brookfield), and South West (Colin Barns). Help with the service, fund, or application process can be sought by emailing [email protected] website.
Monitoring arrangements and an evaluation will be undertaken at the end of the fund. Successful applicants will receive payments in stages after specified milestones are delivered. Applications will be assessed as they are submitted. Proposals can be discussed before applying with The Homes England Affordable Housing Growth Team.
With this new funding opportunity, councils eligible to apply are those engaged in rebuilding council housing stock, complying with the 10-year tenant eligibility for Right to Buy, and participating in capacity-building initiatives supported by government funding. The Council Housebuilding Support Fund is a significant step towards supporting councils in England to deliver more affordable homes and address regional housing priorities.
- To ensure successful applications for the Council Housebuilding Support Fund, councils could submit proposals that focus on leveraging finance from the industry for knowledge development, pipeline development, partnership working, and additional staffing, which will help them better equip their business to bring forward bids for the Affordable Homes Programme.
- The Council Housebuilding Support Fund aims to support councils in the finance sector by offering a funding opportunity, with the goal of helping them deliver more affordable homes, develop comprehensive plans, and address regional affordable housing priorities, all of which are integral to the broader business of the industry.
