Homes England has opened bidding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-2036 (SAHP).
The programme has been designed to accelerate the delivery of hundreds of thousands of new homes for social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership, helping to meet housing need while creating thriving, sustainable communities.
At least £27 billion worth of funding delivered by Homes England forms part of the government’s major £39 billion investment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation.
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said: “Today marks an important milestone in the government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation as we open our new Social and Affordable Homes Programme for business.
“Working in close partnership with the sector, we have given providers the funding and regulatory certainty they need and we’re now calling on them to come forward with bold, ambitious bids so we can kickstart a decade of social and affordable housing renewal.”
Alongside the launch, the Agency has published updated bidding guidance to support partners in developing strong proposals and gaining a clear understanding of the programme’s requirements and expectations.
The refreshed programme puts a clear emphasis on boosting the supply of homes for social rent, delivering mixed-tenure developments, and maintaining high standards of design, safety and sustainability.
Amy Rees CB, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “The launch of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme marks a significant step in accelerating the delivery of much-needed affordable housing across England.
“Our updated bidding guidance clearly sets out what we are looking for: high-quality, deliverable schemes that prioritise social rent and demonstrate strong value for money.
“We are not just accelerating the supply of new homes, but reshaping the future of affordable housing across the country, driving forward the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this parliament and helping to create new vibrant, thriving communities.”
Access to the programme is available through two routes. The first is Continuous Market Engagement (CME), which enables partners to work with the Agency throughout the life of the programme on a scheme-by-scheme basis. This approach provides greater certainty around grant funding while allowing Homes England to respond flexibly to specific local housing needs. The second route is the Strategic Partnership Framework, which offers long-term funding certainty to partners delivering at pace and scale, enabling the Agency to allocate larger funding packages to support ambitious delivery programmes.
A key requirement of the programme is that partners must be able to deliver at least 60% of homes for social rent, underlining the government’s commitment to prioritising the most affordable tenures.
The updated bidding guidance is designed to provide clarity and confidence for partners, helping them align proposals with local strategies while meeting national housing priorities.
More information for housing providers on bidding guidance can be found here: Social and Affordable Homes Programme guidance
