Research: Council Housing Social Rent Delivery

England needs at least 90,000 social rent homes a year to end the housing emergency. Shelter commissioned Arup to assess how many social homes councils can deliver annually and what is needed to boost delivery. The report specifically focuses on the delivery of social rented homes, with rents tied to local income.

To deliver social homes at the scale, local authorities need to resume their significant role as house builders, a role they have historically held but which has been lost. With councils currently delivering on average just 1,900 social rented homes a year over the past five years, achieving the 90,000 target will require ambitious reforms across Central and Local Government. The policy interventions listed in the report establish a path to direct delivery by local authorities, as well as through the land and planning system.