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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what portion of the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme is currently awarded to for-profit registered providers and what portion to not-for-profit registered providers; whether there are any safeguards in place to ensure that limited public housing investment delivers the maximum possible long-term social benefit; and whether any greater priority should be given to not-for-profit providers, where their surpluses are reinvested directly into social housing and providing more social housing.

Under the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme (AHGS20), all registered providers are required to meet the same regulatory standards whether they operate for profit or not. The government therefore does not prioritise applicants depending on their for-profit status.

No loans have been made to for-profit registered providers under the scheme so far, but they remain eligible if their applications meet the scheme rules.

AHGS20 contains safeguards designed to secure lasting social benefit from the guarantee. Bodies that are not registered providers are ineligible, and borrowers must use those homes as affordable housing for the period of the loan. They are also subject to the Regulator of Social Housing’s economic and consumer standards.