Aims/priorities: Homes England has announced details of the forthcoming Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026–2036, with bidding expected to open in February 2026. The programme represents a long-term national investment to increase the supply of social and affordable housing across England, excluding London, which will receive separate funding through the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Homes England will manage at least £27.2 billion of government funding, including £1.2 billion in bridge funding announced in 2025. In total, up to £39 billion will be made available over ten years to support the delivery of around 300,000 affordable homes. At least 60% of homes delivered through the SAHP will be for social rent, with additional support for council-led, supported, community-led and rural housing developments.
The funding will help meet the government’s commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes during the current parliament and will provide grant support for the capital costs of building affordable housing.
Homes England will oversee delivery across England, while the GLA will manage up to 30% of total funding for London. Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will be able to shape local priorities, tenure mix and development sites. These include the Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire combined authorities.
All homes funded under the programme must start by 31 March 2026 and complete by 31 March 2029.
Who can apply? Registered Providers of Social Housing in England are eligible to apply.
Applications are invited from both existing and new partners, including not-for-profit and for-profit registered providers, local authorities, housebuilders, developers, charities and community-led organisations. Bids may be submitted by individual organisations or as part of a consortium or Strategic Partnership.
Organisations seeking funding for affordable housing projects located in London should apply through the Greater London Authority, which manages the capital’s allocation separately from Homes England.
Grant amount: The programme sets out specific delivery and funding requirements for organisations applying through different partnership routes.
New Land-led or Developer Delivery Strategic Partnerships must commit to delivering at least 1,500 homes by 31 March 2036, with an initial funding cap of £250 million.
Local authority Strategic Partnerships are required to deliver a minimum of 800 homes within the same period and will also have an initial funding cap of £250 million.
Specialist and supported housing Strategic Partnerships must deliver at least 800 homes by 31 March 2036 and are subject to the same £250 million initial funding limit
Existing Strategic Partnerships must provide at least 1,000 additional homes beyond their current commitments, with a higher initial funding cap of £350 million. These requirements apply to both Land-led registered provider and Developer delivery routes.
A separate category, Strategic Partnership Plus, is available for larger-scale delivery. Partners in this category must commit to building at least 4,000 homes by 31 March 2036, including 1,000 homes to be completed by 31 March 2029. This total may include homes allocated through bridge funding. Strategic Partnership Plus applicants will be eligible for an initial funding cap of up to £700 million.
Application process: Before the programme opens for bidding, Homes England must obtain and review a subsidy report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA will assess the proposed scheme and may make recommendations. Homes England may update its funding guidance following consideration of the CMA’s report, with any changes communicated to partners before the bidding process begins.
Bidding is expected to open in February 2026. Registered Providers will receive further information in advance to support business planning, including details on rent convergence, the modernised Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. Partners are encouraged to begin preparing proposals ahead of the official launch, with bidding for strategic partnerships expected to close in April 2026.
Further guidance will be issued closer to the launch, outlining the bidding process and funding routes. There will be two routes to access SAHP funding:
- Continuous Market Engagement (CME) – allows partners to bid on a scheme-by-scheme or portfolio basis while funding remains available. It supports small and medium-sized partners, new entrants and local authorities that cannot deliver at scale or that are progressing complex schemes.
- General CME: for individual site bids, prioritising proposals that demonstrate value for money, deliverability and alignment with housing priorities.
- Portfolio CME: for allocations across a portfolio of schemes at different delivery stages, helping to accelerate development and meet place-based priorities.
- Strategic Partnerships – provide long-term, programme-level funding to partners delivering housing at scale over the lifetime of the programme.
More information is available at the Homes England website.
Contact Homes England for further information.
Deadline: April 2026
Contact information: Email: SAHP@homesengland.gov.uk