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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for increasing the percentage of social housing grant for new developments by housing associations on brownfield sites on which the development would not otherwise be financially viable.

There is no set amount of grant allocated for new affordable housing developments.

The Homes and Communities Agency assess all applications on a case by case basis, taking into account local circumstances against the criteria set out in the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme prospectus. Around 80% of the Affordable Homes Programme in 2011-15 delivered by the Agency outside London was on brownfield land.

Applications to deliver affordable homes in London are assessed by the Greater London Authority against their published prospectus (The Mayor’s Housing Covenant 2015-18 Programme).