en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urging her to allow more of the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) funding to be released early to accelerate delivery.

Currently, the 10-year SAHP is already "oversubscribed" due to strong demand from housing associations. As the Treasury has imposed limits on fund withdrawals in the early stages of the programme, Homes England, which manages £27 billion of funding outside London, wrote to suppliers last month asking them to reassess the payment schedules in their bids, effectively delaying project development. Meanwhile, the Greater London Authority, which manages £11.7 billion in London, has also asked suppliers to submit revised bids due to excessive demand.

Henderson stated that government decisions over the past year have improved the financial health of the social housing sector, with housing associations submitting positive bids for SAHP projects. However, scaling back these bids could undermine progress, especially at a time when more families need temporary accommodation. She believes that releasing more funding early would help translate financial capacity into actual construction, match the scale of housing associations' ambitions, and support the construction industry and the economy during a market downturn.

Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer at Clarion Group, one of the G15 housing associations, told Building magazine's sister publication Inside Housing that the level of bids reflects the industry's willingness to deliver, and called on the Treasury to spend the £39 billion within the first five years to restart affordable housing delivery. Amy Rees, Chief Executive of Homes England, said at the UKREiiF property event that the agency has pushed for early delivery in the first three years, but must ensure that fund withdrawals are closely tied to delivery outcomes.

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