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<p>This Government's priorities are to boost housing supply and to build more affordable
homes, supporting the different needs of a wide range of people. The Government is
committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has made £9 billion available
through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver 250,000 new affordable
homes of a wide range of tenures, including social rent. Since 2010 we have delivered
over 378,000 new affordable homes, including over 273,000 affordable homes for rent.</p><p>We
have not directly carried out an assessment in response to the claim made by the Centre
for Social Justice. However, new affordable housing reduces pressure on the Housing
Benefit bill by enabling people to live in sub-market rent homes which, on average,
have lower associated housing benefit costs than the Local housing Allowance on an
equivalent home in the private rented sector.</p><p>We have listened to the housing
sector. We have increased the size of the Affordable Homes Programme, re-introduced
social rent, lifted the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap for local authorities,
and are setting 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>
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