Today that government has announced details of the new affordable homes programme.

Our initial thoughts...

THREAD 1/ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jenrick-unveils-huge-12-billion-boost-for-affordable-homes

With the critical need for decent affordable homes further exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis, it is welcome that the government has announced a funding programme that includes money for social rent. 2/

Putting social and affordable rent on an equal footing with affordable homeownership is positive; meaning we can build homes for those on the lowest incomes such as key workers. 3/

It is great to see funding for supported housing - such as homeless and domestic abuse shelters and older people housing - as this has been invaluable in keeping people safe during the pandemic. 4/

We welcome a focus on shared ownership to help people onto the housing ladder; however there are some questions and risks in the new proposed model, that may make it harder for housing associations to build in the current climate. 5/

What we need from government to shore up investment is certainty and confidence, and some of the proposals for shared ownership and the introduction of the Right to Shared Ownership may have the opposite effect. 6/

We look forward to seeing further details of what’s being announced today and will be engaging with @natfednews members to understand the opportunities and impacts of the new programme. 7/