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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16546 on Housing: Construction, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on affordable housing provision of reduced demand for registered providers in acquiring homes built by private sector developers as a Section 106 requirement; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of greater flexibility on affordable tenure types to help increase take-up.

The government recognises the ongoing challenge posed by the reduced appetite of Registered Providers of social housing to buy affordable homes delivered under Section 106 agreements.

Homes England's Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service was launched in December with the aim of supporting buyers and sellers of Section 106 homes to find each other more effectively.

We are calling on all developers with uncontracted Section 106 affordable homes, as well as registered providers and local planning authorities, to engage proactively with this new service.

We will consider what further measures may be necessary to address this problem, informed by data from the new clearing service.