Initiative aims to support local authorities with SAHP applications
Bidding has opened for Homes England’s £21.8m ‘Council Housebuilding Support Fund’ (CHSF), which aims to help local authorities successfully apply for grant funding from the government’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).
As of yesterday (Monday), applicants can submit a proposal for financial support to “build the skills, capacity and partnerships needed to develop strong bids”.
This includes help with knowledge and skills development, housing pipeline development, pre-development and enabling activities, partnership working and hiring more staff.
The initative will run for three financial years until March 2029, aiming to support around 75 councils. Local authorities can submit a single proposal up to a maximum of £300,000 in each of the three years. A proposal can cover multiple activities.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner said: “Councils will be at the heart of the biggest housebuilding revival in decades, but we know many lack the capacity and expertise to turn plans into reality.
“This funding will help councils build the skills, capacity and partnerships needed to make the most of our historic £39 billion investment.”
Bidding will close on 2 November, with funding decisions due to be made from December 2026. There will be further bidding rounds in April 2027 and 2028.
The CHSF was launched in 2025 with an initial £5.5m granted to 29 councils. The funding boost for the scheme was announced last month, alongside the first SAHP allocations as part of the government’s wider £46m commitment to its ‘Capacity to Build’ support package, which seeks to help councils increase their levels of housebuilding.
It came as the 33 strategic partners selected for the first round of SAHP funding, including three councils, were announced. A few days later, City Hall confirmed that more than half of the initial £6bn SAHP funding in London would go to local authorities.
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