Exclusive: Abena Oppong-Asare, the Labour chair of the Commons housing committee, is urging Chancellor John Healey to unlock billions of pounds in planned spending on social and affordable homes in England. This call comes after housing associations indicated they could build tens of thousands more homes if additional funding is provided.

Urgent Call for Funding

Oppong-Asare has requested that the chancellor allocate money from the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) as soon as possible, rather than delaying until after the upcoming election. Housing associations have stated that with more government funding, they could construct an additional 41,000 homes outside London over the next decade. This would aid the government in approaching its ambitious target of building 1.5 million new homes during this parliamentary term, although Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, has acknowledged the challenges in achieving this goal.

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“Families stuck on social housing waiting lists need to see action now. I urge the chancellor to ensure a significant sum of the £39bn SAHP is allocated during this parliament and that truly affordable social rent homes are prioritized as part of this package,” said Oppong-Asare.

Background on Funding

The £39bn fund was announced last year by Rachel Reeves, Healey's predecessor, who modified the government's borrowing rules to facilitate increased borrowing for capital projects. The fund is intended for a mix of council houses and various types of affordable housing, including affordable rents and shared ownership schemes.