New Government support for councils to increase housebuilding

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A new Council Housebuilding Skills and Capacity Programme (CHSCP) has been launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The new programme will be delivered in partnership with Homes England and the Local Government Association to help support councils increase their level of housebuilding.

The programme will help:

  • upskill existing council workforces.
  • drive engagement with the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).
  • recruit graduates to specialist roles.

The CHSCP has 3 elements:

 

  • Council Housebuilding Support Service

This new service will be administered by the LGA and aims to work with up to 75 councils this financial year.

It will provide councils with access to training, online tools, and resources to upskill their housebuilding teams. The service will also create a peer-to-peer network to help councils work together to deliver social and affordable housing schemes.

​For more information and to register your interest visit the LGA’s website.

Councils receiving support through the Service should not also apply for grant to address the same issues through the Council Housebuilding Support Fund (see below).

 

  • Council Housebuilding Support Fund

This new £5.5 million fund is available during 2025-26 and has 3 main priorities:

  • ​supporting councils to bring forward bids to the new SAHP more quickly and for greater numbers of homes than might otherwise be the case without access to the Fund.
  • ​supporting councils to maximise the delivery of homes for Social Rent.
  • ​for councils in established Mayoral Strategic Authority areas, to ensure their bids to the new SAHP support the delivery of regional affordable housing priorities​.

For more information about the Fund and how to apply visit Home’s England’s website.

The bidding process is now open and will close on 22 August 2025.

Councils who receive grant through the Fund should not also seek advice to address the same issues through the Council Housebuilding Support Service (see above).

 

  • An expansion of the Pathways to Planning programme

MHCLG has funded the LGA to create two new pathways for councils to recruit graduates to their housebuilding teams.

Councils will be supported to enable these graduates to train for the necessary accreditation to become chartered surveyors or construction project managers.

​The pathways aim to recruit up to 50 graduates in 2025-26.

​For more information and to express your interest visit the LGA’s website.