Government expected to announce £1bn housing boost as registrations fall
The proposed funding comes as registrations for new homes fall and Labour’s building target faces renewed scrutiny.
The government is expected to announce more than £1bn for social and affordable housing in Wednesday’s Budget. The plan comes after new-home registrations fell sharply in the third quarter, raising questions about Labour’s target of 1.5 million homes.
Housing Secretary John Healey is expected to set out additional funding that would take the government’s ten-year social and affordable housing programme beyond £40bn. The funding has not yet been formally confirmed by the Treasury, so the final amount and conditions may change before the Budget.
The National House Building Council recorded 26,231 new-home registrations between July and September, according to figures reported by City A.M. That was 13% lower than the 30,279 registrations recorded in the same quarter a year earlier.
Registrations are an early indicator of construction activity rather than completed homes. They do not by themselves show whether the government will meet its target, and the figures alone do not establish why registrations fell.
The proposed package is intended to support councils and housing associations, with borrowing powers for local authorities and regional mayors also expected to form part of the wider approach. The government’s existing programme was announced at £39bn in August.
The policy raises questions about both supply and delivery: how much secure, affordable housing the funding could provide, what role councils would play and whether planning constraints or construction capacity could limit delivery.
The figure is therefore best understood as a planned policy intervention rather than money already spent or homes already delivered. Parliament and local authorities will still have to scrutinise the final settlement.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The government has an existing ten-year social and affordable housing programme.
- New-home registrations fell year on year in the third quarter.
- An additional package was expected in the Budget but was not yet formally confirmed.
- Registrations are not the same as completed homes.
Left
Arguments The state should build and own more homes for social rent because the private market has not supplied enough secure, affordable accommodation.
Values Housing as a public service, equality and security.
Consequences More council housing could reduce temporary accommodation and rents, but would require sustained public spending and delivery capacity.
Centre
Arguments The package is justified if it is tied to measurable delivery, sound borrowing and reforms that allow councils and housing associations to build efficiently.
Values Practical delivery, fiscal responsibility and evidence-based policy.
Consequences A mixed approach could increase supply without relying entirely on either the state or the private sector.
Right
Arguments The priority should be reducing planning barriers and supporting private construction rather than expanding state ownership.
Values Market incentives, personal choice and limited government.
Consequences A private-led recovery might build faster, but would not guarantee enough homes at social rents.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article separates confirmed programme funding from the reported future Budget commitment. The registration figures and their period are sourced to the reported NHBC data.
- confirmed The existing Social and Affordable Homes Programme is worth £39bn over ten years. — Confirmed by the government policy paper. source
- confirmed 26,231 homes were registered in the third quarter of 2026, down 13% year on year. — Reported from NHBC figures by City A.M. source
- uncertain The additional £1bn had been formally confirmed. — The report described it as expected in the Budget; the article does not state it as confirmed. source
Editor's note
The existing £39bn programme is official. The additional £1bn is reported as an expected Budget announcement and had not yet been formally confirmed.Sources
- Healey pledges £1bn for social housing as housebuilding slump threatens Labour target — City A.M.
- The Social and Affordable Homes Programme — Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
More on this in other media
- ITV News — „housing social housing”
- BBC News — „housing social housing”
- The Guardian — „housing social housing”