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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between the number of affordable homes required in England and the number delivered in each of the last five years; and what steps they are taking to address any such shortfall.

304,165 new affordable homes were delivered between April 2020 and March 2025. The government has not set an affordable housing target to date, but we are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

National planning policy makes clear that it is for local planning authorities to assess the affordable housing need of their areas, including the need for social rent, and set policies to meet this local need. This includes setting out the proportion and type of affordable housing that should be delivered on new development.

Our new 10-year, £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme is the largest long-term investment in social and affordable housing in recent memory.