The government is providing funding for councils to increase their development capacity

On 21st September, the government announced an additional £21.8million of funding for the Council Housebuilding Support Fund.  This revenue funding will be available until March 2029, be help local authorities build the skills, capacity and partnerships needed to develop strong bids for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.  Initial bidding will run until 2nd November, with funding decisions made in December 2026 and further bidding rounds in April 2027 and 2028.

The £46million Capacity to Build funding will strengthen the skills, capacity and capability of local authorities to deliver and acquire new council homes.  It will fund a continuation of the following programmes introduced in 2025/26:

• The Council Housebuilding Support Fund, which provides revenue funding for early-stage development activity to help councils bring forward ambitious bids to the SAHP
• The Council Housebuilding Support Service, delivered by the Local Government Association, providing bespoke no-cost support, advice and expertise to help councils deliver more homes
• The Pathways to Planning graduate scheme, also delivered by the LGA, helping councils recruit and retain graduates in specialist housebuilding roles, including surveying and construction project management.