Activities

HBF members are major providers of Affordable Housing in Britain through planning agreements (S106 agreements) on private housing sites. According to official statistics, in 2005-06, S106 agreements with house builders accounted for 55% of all Affordable Housing provided by local authorities or RSLs, and 61% of new dwellings for social rent.

 

However the provision of affordable housing goes well beyond the Government's narrow definition of Affordable Housing in S106 agreements. House builders build a range of market housing at affordable prices, meeting the needs of young people and first-time buyers without any public subsidy. Some are also introducing their own financial packages to make housing more affordable, again without public subsidy.

 

In the longer-term, the real issue is how to make housing more affordable across the market. This can only be achieved by significantly increasing the supply of new homes, which in turn will require a very substantial increase in the amount of land coming through the planning system for residential development.