Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled £2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, published on 25 March 2025, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of affordable housing programme expenditure in the 2026-27 financial year on economic growth.

Social and affordable housing delivers economic gains through increased housing supply and further societal benefits.

Prior to the immediate injection of £2 billion announced at Spring statement, the departments modelling, published in this NAO report, showed that for every £1.00 spent on the 21-26 programme provides £2.70 of benefits, with 89% of the programme’s net benefit to society arising from increased housing supply measured via land value uplift.