Chartered Institute of Housing

The government has announced the first allocations from its £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP), with almost £9.6 billion awarded to strategic partners to support the delivery of more than 73,000 social and affordable homes across England over the next decade. Thirty-three strategic partners, including councils, housing associations and other providers, will receive long-term funding allocations through Homes England.

CIH has responded to proposals from Reform UK to prioritise British-born workers aged under 35 for social housing. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has announced plans to give priority in social housing allocations to British-born workers under 35, alongside former military personnel and married couples with children. The party has also said it would build 50,000 affordable homes a year. CIH supports action to help younger people access safe, secure and affordable homes.

CIH has welcomed the government’s proposals for mayors to gain more powers over planning in England, but warns that mayoral strategic authorities will need time and resources to build planning capacity and work collaboratively with local authorities. The government has launched a consultation on the changes, which were initially included in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act which passed into law earlier this year.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) welcomes the Prime Minister’s national drive to get everyone off the streets for Christmas and the associated £442 million package to support people into settled homes. This is a welcome and urgent intervention, and we hope it marks the beginning of a long-term commitment to ending homelessness and rough sleeping.

Yesterday (17 August) the government announced the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), following its consultation which closed earlier this year. Some of the key changes for housing professionals include: Section 106 on medium sites — In a shift from its draft proposals published for consultation, the government has decided not to change Section 106 agreements for delivery of on-site affordable housing on medium-sized sites.

Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH NI) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Department for Communities consultation on the proposed Warm Healthy Homes Fund, which forms part of the delivery of the Warm Homes Strategy launched earlier this year. As we noted at the time, CIH NI strongly welcomes the Warm Homes Strategy 2026–2036, particularly given the scale of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

Housing provides the foundation for people to thrive. Poor quality housing impacts our health and wellbeing, homelessness stifles educational attainment and employment opportunities, limiting people’s ability to contribute to society, increasing poverty and inequality. Failing to meet people’s housing needs risks prolonging the existing housing emergency. It will increase costs for the NHS and other partners. Housing has a key role to play in improving the efficiency of our public services.

Housing provides the foundation for people to thrive. Poor quality housing impacts our health and wellbeing, homelessness stifles educational attainment and employment opportunities, limiting people’s ability to contribute to society, increasing poverty and inequality. Failing to meet people’s housing needs risks prolonging the existing housing emergency. It will increase costs for the NHS and other partners.

This morning the government released the latest statutory homelessness statistics, covering the first quarter of 2026. You can read the statistics in full here. They show a record high in the number of households in temporary accommodation since the same time last year, now totalling 135,580 households.

This morning the government released the latest statutory homelessness statistics, covering the first quarter of 2026. You can read the statistics in full here. They show a record high in the number of households in temporary accommodation since the same time last year, now totalling 135,580 households.