Newcastle City Council named partner in national social and affordable homes programme

Newcastle City Council is one of 33 organisations chosen as strategic partners in a 10-year government programme to deliver social and affordable homes across England outside London. The council is set to receive £141.4m in grant funding to deliver 966 homes.

The partners were confirmed by Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency, for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which runs from 2026 to 2036. Each will receive grant funding and work with the agency to build new homes.

The other partners are mainly housing associations and housing groups, along with Cambridge City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Vistry Homes Limited. Grants range from £96.4m for Cambridge City Council to £350.0m for several organisations, with the largest single allocation of homes, 3,335, going to Orbit Group Limited. Homes England said grant figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.

The strategic partners will work alongside other organisations funded through the programme's second route, known as Continuous Market Engagement, to create thousands of new homes. Homes England said the outcome reflects government priorities and aims to secure delivery and value from public investment.

Homes England chief executive Amy Rees said the strong demand for funding demonstrated "the sector's ambition to deliver as part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity". She added that the agency would work "in close collaboration with our partners alongside regional leaders, mayors and the sector" to ensure the investment supports "high quality homes and thriving places that people want and need".