Grant Britain Homes

Inside Housing is launching a four-week campaign, Grant Britain Homes, calling on the government to provide grant funding in its 26 June spending review to ensure the continued development of sub-market affordable housing.

We plan to galvanise the housing and construction sector into a united voice to persuade the government that investing in affordable housing is the best-value means of achieving an urgently needed boost to the flagging economy.

The campaign aims are:

- To obtain a commitment from government to provide grant funding to subsidise the development of sub-market rented homes;

- To make this commitment long-term – at least four years – to allow housing providers to write business plans which include the construction of more homes;

- In return, social landlords will commit to helping to reduce the housing benefit bill by delivering more homes at sub-market rents and help support their communities into jobs.

Social landlords have long made the case that building housing at a sub-market rent requires some kind of subsidy. Now the rest of the housing and construction sector needs to join in making the argument for the overwhelming economic and social benefits of investing in affordable housing.

The more support we get, the more likely the government is likely to listen.