Affordable housing

Registered housing providers

Registered Housing Providers are organisations that typically deliver affordable housing. While they are the primary providers, private developers can also deliver affordable housing. Examples of well-known Registered Housing Providers include:

  • BluePine Living Ltd
  • Eastlight Community Homes Ltd
  • Flagship Housing Group
  • Flint Housing Ltd
  • Hastoe Housing Association
  • Havebury Homes
  • Newtide Homes
  • Park Properties Housing Association/HSPG (PPHA)
  • Orwell Housing
  • Sanctuary Housing Association
  • V & F Homes

The role of private developers

Private developers are usually required to include a proportion of affordable homes within new housing schemes. Alternatively, they may make a financial contribution to fund affordable housing elsewhere, known as an off-site contribution under Section 106 Agreements. For threshold requirements in the former Waveney and Suffolk Coastal areas please refer to the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document Affordable-Housing-SPD.pdf 

Section 106 Agreements are legal agreements between local authorities and developers, used in the UK planning system. They ensure developers contribute to community infrastructure or affordable housing as part of planning permission. These contributions can be in the form of:

  • On-site affordable housing units
  • Off-site financial payments (commuted sums)
  • Other community benefits like schools or transport improvements
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Funding affordable housing

Registered Housing Providers often use income from shared ownership sales and borrow against rental income streams. However, these sources alone are rarely sufficient, so additional funding or subsidy is typically required. Common funding sources include:

  • Homes England (formerly Homes and Communities Agency): A government-funded body providing subsidies for affordable housing through a competitive bidding process, subject to design, and quality standards.
  • Council Tax income: Revenue from empty homes or second homes.
  • Private Developer Contributions: Off-site contributions or “commuted sums”.
  • Land availability: Land provided free or at below market value.
  • Affordable housing subsidies: Often derived from the sale of former council houses under the Right to Buy scheme.