Homes England has surpassed its core delivery targets for 2024/25, exceeding government expectations for new homes started, completed and unlocked, as the agency continues to support a pivotal period for housebuilding in England.
Provisional figures show that the Government’s housing and regeneration agency enabled the completion of more than 36,000 homes over the year – a 14% increase on 2023/24. It also supported the start of construction on an additional 38,000 homes, up 6%, and unlocked land capable of delivering 79,000 future homes, significantly higher than the previous year.
The figures reflect Homes England’s expanding role in facilitating housing delivery, regeneration and place-making, working in partnership with local authorities, combined authorities and private-sector organisations.
Matthew Pennycook, minister of state for housing and planning, said: “Homes England is playing a crucial role in supporting the Government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million new homes and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. I am pleased that the agency has exceeded key housebuilding targets to ramp up the delivery of new homes and place-based regeneration.”
The agency’s progress includes high-profile land acquisitions in Nottingham, boots-on-the-ground support in cities like York and Bristol, and new strategic place partnerships with the North East Combined Authority, Liverpool City Region, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. It also continues to deliver safe and affordable housing through the Affordable Homes Programme 2021–26, with recent investment supporting schemes like Union Village in Middlesbrough.
New public-private investment partnerships are helping to accelerate delivery, such as the HABIKO initiative – a low-carbon affordable housing collaboration with Pension Insurance Corporation and Muse – and a master developer joint venture with Oaktree Capital Management and Greycoat Real Estate.
Support for SME builders remains a core focus, with funding and financing via the Home Building Fund and the Greener Homes Alliance with Octopus Real Estate aiding developers like Wyatt Homes.
Pat Ritchie, chair of Homes England, said: “As the newly appointed chair of Homes England, I’m proud to see the hard work of the agency reflected in our 2024/25 performance figures. Looking forward, the transformation of the agency into a more regionally-based model will mean we’re well-placed to support the Government’s mission to build 1.5 million homes this parliament.”
Chief executive Eamonn Boylan added: “We’ve exceeded our delivery targets by supporting our housebuilding partners to create much-needed new homes and we’ve worked more closely with mayors across the country to champion place-making and drive regional growth.”
