Housing programmes delivered by Homes England resulted in 14,812 new houses starting on-site and 12,118 houses completed between 1 April and 30 September 2022, according to the latest official statistics.

The figures demonstrate a decrease in starts and completions on the same period last year, though the government claims this is largely due to the transition from the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP) 2016-21 to the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2021-26.

10,986, or 74%, of the housing starts on site during this period were for affordable homes. This is in line with the same period last year, where 73% of all starts on site were for affordable homes.

Of the affordable homes started in this period:

  • 2,095 were for affordable rent, an increase of 25% on this period last year
  • 1,751 were for intermediate affordable housing schemes, including Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy, an increase of 19%
  • 799 were for social rent, a decrease of 8%.

The tenure is still to be confirmed for a further 6,341 of the affordable homes starts.

7,848, or 65%, of the housing completions from 1 April – 30 September 2022 were for affordable homes. This marks a decrease from the same period last year, where 70% of completions were for affordable homes.

Of the affordable homes completed in this period:

  • 3,670 were for affordable rent, a decrease of 31% from the same period last year
  • 3,055 were for intermediate affordable housing schemes, a decrease of 15%
  • The remaining 1,123 were for social rent, a 4% decrease.

Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England, said: “Our partners are operating in a challenging environment with many macro-economic pressures, including material, labour shortages, and rising cost inflation. All have impacted delivery. This slight decline in numbers is also not unexpected during the transitional period between two programmes.

“We know that our partners are likely to face continued pressures in the coming period. Our shared mission of providing quality, affordable housing for those that need it most is more important than ever, and our focus is firmly on supporting our partners and maximising delivery.”