Home Builders Federation

A new event for 2025, the HBF Winter Party reimagines the spirit of the long-running HBF Ball – with a modern twist ❄️ 🪩
Taking place on 28 November at the Intercontinental Park Lane, join us for a festive evening of celebration.
Book now – tables of 10 or 12 are also available
👉 buff.ly/0acgPqF

Without greater acceptance of the use of cascade mechanisms in Section 106 agreements, the gap between housing supply and ambitious government targets is set to widen further.

An estimated 8,500 units currently under construction or due to be built in the next 12 months are not currently under contract with a Register Provider…

…and therefore risk standing empty and stalling the completion of sites across the country.

How many Affordable Homes currently under construction or due to start in the next 12 months are currently uncontracted?
We’ve done the research.

And the findings are concerning – but, unfortunately, unsurprising for industry.

Our panellists will explore the barriers to ownership and how to overcome them👇
🔸Paul Holmes MP
🔸Neil Jefferson, Home Builders Federation
🔸Eve Norridge, Onward
🔸Lizzie Hacking, Next Gen Tories

... The session will be chaired by Angus Parsad-Wyatt, Director of Political Engagement, Total Politics

The dream of home ownership is slipping further out of reach for many. We're hosting a fringe event at Conservative Party Conference next Monday: 'From Dream to Reality: Making Home Ownership Attainable for First-Time Buyers

🗓️ 6 October
📍 ConservativeHome Theatre
⏰ 1-2pm

Mind the Gap This report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) looks at the recent housing supply and affordability data in London, setting out the scale of the challenge for the Government and Mayor of London…

This sustained drop in both starts and approvals points to a worsening supply crisis in the years ahead.

Read the full Mind the Gap report 👉 buff.ly/r1Y9smK

Mind the Gap This report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) looks at the recent housing supply and affordability data in London, setting out the scale of the challenge for the Government and Mayor of London…

In the 12 months to June 2025:

🏗️ Only 996 projects were granted approval in London, the lowest level since records began in 2006

🏘️ Just 40,800 new homes received planning permission across the city, 5% lower than the year before

📉 Housing delivery in London is slowing and future supply is under serious threat.

New residential starts in the capital fell by 38% between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

At the same time, planning approvals continue to decline in the city, painting a bleak outlook for future housing supply.

❌More than 700 sites have been delayed or stalled in the past three years due to developers’ inability to secure an RP to acquire the Affordable Homes.

❌Around 8,500 Section 106 Affordable Homes that are either under construction or due to commence construction within the next 12 months are not currently contracted.

❌An estimated 900 completed Section 106 Affordable Housing units remain empty due to the absence of a contract with a Registered Provider.

Just how much impact is the lack of bids from Registered Providers having on housing delivery nationally?

With anecdotal reports from members that the issue shows little sign of abating, we undertook an FOI exercise to determine if any progress has been made.

Here’s what we found 👇

Letter to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister for Housing and Planning | Championing the power of planning hidden

Therefore, removing the funding for those over 21 is entirely at odds with Government's ambition to build 1.5million homes in this Parliament.

Read the letter
✉️ 👉https://buff.ly/OE0QU84

Letter to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister for Housing and Planning | Championing the power of planning hidden

Level 7 apprenticeships provide a crucial pathway into the planning profession for many, therefore limiting access to it will undermine private and public sector resource.

Lack of capacity within local planning teams is already a significant constraint to increasing housing delivery.

Letter to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister for Housing and Planning | Championing the power of planning hidden

We’ve signed a letter to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook calling for £6.8million in funding to support apprenticeship planners. From January, levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships will be restricted to 16-to 21-year-olds. This could result in 200 fewer planners entering the workforce a year.

Mind the Gap This report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) looks at the recent housing supply and affordability data in London, setting out the scale of the challenge for the Government and Mayor of London…

🏠 House price-to-earnings ratio in London: 11

🏠 National average: 7.7

To afford a deposit, a typical first-time buyer would need to save 50% of their discretionary income for more than 13 years, with average deposits now almost 7 times post-bills income.

Our recommendations 👉 buff.ly/r1Y9smK

Intervention is desperately needed to support first-time buyers, with Londoners facing the biggest barriers to home ownership in the country.

The average cost of a first home in the capital is now 17x the net annual salary of a 22–29-year-old.

... pushing homeownership further out of reach

“If we’re to hit the 1.5 million, as an ambitious target, we’ll only do it with devolution”
🎤 Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region

At #LabourConference today our panel explored what the English devolution agenda means for the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes🏗️

And we’re off! 🚀

We're at the North West Home Building Careers Fair at Haydock Park this morning.

With around 500 students expected through the doors, we're looking forward to introducing them to the wide range of opportunities in home building. 🏡

Dry Lining Masterclass in-company We provide practical skills and knowledge on common dry lining issues identified by our inspection teams, helping dry liners get things right the first time, saving costs and improving productivity.

Funded by CITB as part of the Home Building Sector Skills Plan, the sessions will provide subcontractors with valuable guidance from NHBC site inspectors to help reduce rework and support continual development.

Book a free masterclass for your site
buff.ly/G0DUVEK

📣 Suitable for anyone working as a plasterer or dry liner....

NHBC’s new 90-minute Dry Lining Masterclass provides a quick, practical way to upskill subcontractors without cost to you or them.

Join us at Labour Conference this Sunday for a timely panel on the Government's ‘devolution revolution’

🗓️ Sunday 28 September
📍 Room 4A, ACC Liverpool
⏰ 2.45pm to 3.45pm

Back for 2026, HBF Future Talent Conference will provide your early talent with

👉 Direct exposure to the industry outside of their day-to-day roles
👉 Networking with professionals and peers from the sector
👉 Boosting their professional development and career growth

Tickets 👉 buff.ly/KyqtRJu

Mind the Gap This report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) looks at the recent housing supply and affordability data in London, setting out the scale of the challenge for the Government and Mayor of London…

Housing delivery in London has now hit its lowest level in a decade.

This sustained decline is deepening the capital’s housing supply & affordability crisis, while putting pressure on jobs, growth, and opportunity.

Action is needed to reverse the trend.

Our recommendations👉 buff.ly/r1Y9smK

New build housing delivery in London fell by 9% between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Government data shows only 32,000 homes were completed in the capital in 2023/24.

...That’s not only 9% lower than the previous year but also 30% below the 2019/20 peak- when more than 45,000 homes were delivered.

Applications for the November intake close at midnight tonight.

Apply now 👇
pathwayctm.com/services/wom...

We’re calling on Government to support the industry’s delivery of workforce solutions with long-term investment in skills and training, including:
🔸Increased and more flexible funding for further education
🔸Ensuring that the Growth and Skills Levy works for all employers

But industry can’t do it alone.

Although Government has recently sought to increase support for the construction workforce, these measures fall short.

🔸15,000+ tradespeople trained through our masterclasses
🔸230+ women engaged through our Women into Home Building programme
🔸10 colleges and 8 home builders committed to our Partner a College programme to reshape the curriculum
🔸National Skills Hubs are rolling out to support 3,000 apprentices a year