Partnering in social housing

The UK is suffering a severe housing crisis. It needs to build around 300,000 homes a year, across all strata. The definition of ‘affordable,’ however, may have been stretched somewhat, with some sources suggesting that once Help to Buy, shared ownership and rental schemes have been considered, it can apply to houses costing up to £600,000.

That said, Registered Providers (RPs), of whom the most widely established are Housing Associations, are at the forefront of providing affordable social housing, usually on shared ownership and rental bases.

Research published by Homes for the North (which represents the 17 largest housing associations in the North of England) found that the region needs a net growth of