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<p>The government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has
made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to
deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes for a wide range of tenures. This
includes at least 12,500 homes for social rent to meet the needs of struggling families
and those most at risk of homelessness in areas of the country where affordability
is most pressured. This is the minimum number of social rent homes we expect to be
delivered – the programme is flexible and the precise number will depend on the bids
that are received for the funding.</p><p>We previously announced an additional £2
billion of long-term funding certainty for housing associations. This extra funding
will deliver more affordable homes and stimulate the sector’s wider building ambitions,
through strategic partnerships. On 27 June 2019, bidding was opened on £1 billion
of this funding through Homes England. We are working closely with the Greater London
Authority to open bidding on £1 billion for London as soon as possible. Our ten-year
funding commitment through strategic partnerships marks the first time any government
has invested such long-term funding in new homes through housing associations.</p><p>We
have also removed the Housing Revenue Account borrowing caps for local authorities
and have set out a long-term rent deal for councils and housing associations in England
from 2020. Housing associations and local authorities now need to accelerate delivery
and build more affordable homes.</p><p>Since 2010 there has been an increase in the
number of homes for social rent by 79,000, in contrast to the decline between 1997
and 2010, whilst the Right to Buy for council tenants has been preserved.</p><p>Investment
in social rent homes beyond the current programme will be decided as part of the forthcoming
spending review.</p>
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