Sigma Homes Group’s Post

Market Failure - The time to act is now - Affordable S106 Housing delivery. This reinforces again what we have also heard: https://lnkd.in/eP9R3e5k The long-term solution is to fix the RP’s broken balance sheets and invest in Local Authority capacity. However, in the short term, MHCLG needs to intervene by enabling Homes England to permit the use of the Affordable Homes Programme grant on S106 affordable housing homes, to respond to the current "Market Failure". The 'How, Not If' - Ask for MHCLG is: It is proposed that grant should be made available on the affordable housing provision required by S106 requirements on all schemes <75 homes, this will give confidence to SMEs working with RPs to build out early, thereby accelerating site delivery and responding to developer concerns on absorption rates. The grant could be time-limited to the current programme (with a possible time extension) and available to both Strategic Partners and bids via continuous market engagement and funded through the existing budgeted Affordable Housing Programme. Without such support, a significant proportion of potential affordable housing supply will be delayed or simply not built. It is also proposed that on larger sites if developers are overperforming by >30% on the S106 affordable housing requirement that Homes England grant should be available on all the affordable homes including the S106 requirements and additionality. This we believe will improve the viability and again provide the impetus for the accelerated delivery of otherwise stalled or viability-constrained developments, negating the all-to-regular reduction or removal of affordable housing or other essential local infrastructure from these developments. Matthew Woodhead Nick Fenton Jonathan Buckwell Alex Hicken

The new government have massive plans for housing resurgence. With a plan of building 1.5 million homes, it is certainly early days I certainly do love the saying "build baby build". I work with a number of developers and all have voiced positivty on the messages. A new reform will be voiced on planning, based on the fact that there have a record low planning application approval. Of course the new government have only started, any suggestions on what they can put in place to help developers and hit there target.

☀ 📖 The Housing Forum's Summer Reading list! 7/10 📖 ☀ Improving the planning system is a key focus of government as they look to boost home delivery. One particularly inefficient part of the system currently is the validation requirement system. This can require builders to submit as many as 42 documents for developments as small as 10 homes. Our report on the system identifies a number of fixes, including moving to a 'checklist' approach, and raising the threshold at which planning applications are considered major. https://lnkd.in/eYz3Fpf9

📢 We want your feedback on affordable housing delivery through S106. Section 106 is one of the most effective routes to delivering new affordable housing, accounting for 47% of total affordable housing development outputs in 2022/23. We are aware of concerns from some members about its use, however, and are keen to understand the extent to which it is being used effectively to deliver affordable homes, and any issues that may need to be addressed. We are asking members, and the wider public, to share your views on S106 with us via an anonymous survey (open until 3 January) ⬇ https://lnkd.in/entiZQ5J

Current political focus on challenging the planning system to sort out the current housing emergency might be the wrong emphasis....I know planning and planners are not perfect but politicians are up to their usual tactic of over simplifying the problem. It will need a broader sustained effort to create equal access to housing for wannabe buyers today as my generation enjoyed

An interesting perspective on new homes delivery and local authority capability to do so. https://lnkd.in/eXeUMhZx

The Department for Communities has published its Housing Supply Strategy (2024 – 2039). This sets out an ambition of delivering at least 100,000 homes. There is lots for planners to consider in this, but I thought this page was perhaps the most interesting. Full document here: https://lnkd.in/eht2sBJa

Housing Starts Up 10.7% in February

The building cycle is a slow and long process, the housing shortage will likely self adjust given 5-10 years. Given the current housing crisis was due in part to the result of short term government policies in the past 10 years, will the latest government policies speed up or slow the cycle? Any thoughts? As always please be respectful, inclusive and polite to others. This is for the purpose of encouraging discussion and I am not advocating a particular position. https://lnkd.in/g8j3mU8T

Housing! Each type of housing has its own costs and benefits, so it's important to choose based on your budget and long-term goals. #SaveFirstLiveWell #SaveFirstFinancial #HousingGoals