We welcome today's announcement of a new equity loan scheme and the Government's recognition of the significant challenges facing first-time buyers and the wider housing market. We have long called for action to improve access to home ownership, and our analysis shows a well-designed scheme can make a meaningful difference for households struggling to get onto the property ladder. We look forward to working with Government and the wider sector to refine the details and get the scheme up and running quickly, ensuring the it works for buyers across the country and home builders of all sizes.

Last year, home building resulted in around £6 billion of spending within local shops and businesses, supporting local economies and the places people already call home.

Earlier this month we submitted our representations for the Autumn Budget, calling on Government to focus its action across six key areas. 1. Support first-time buyers and strengthen effective demand 2. Reduce the cumulative cost burden on the development of new homes 3. Remove fiscal barriers to housing delivery 4. Unlock Section 106 Affordable Housing delivery 5. Increase capacity within the planning system and local government 6. Support skilled jobs within the home building industry

On Monday, we will be hosting a panel at Labour party conference, entitled ‘Back small builders, build more homes: Creating the conditions for SME developers to thrive’. The panel will discuss the barriers facing smaller builders and the key policy decisions needed to unlock their potential. Join us in Room 4B at the Liverpool Experience Campus on Monday 28 September, 2 to 3pm.

This morning, we hosted our London Residential Developers Forum, bringing together industry leaders to discuss the challenges facing London’s housing market. It was fantastic to hear from our guest speaker, Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service. The session provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to share their insights on how the Draft London Plan could best support London’s home builders, as well as discuss the broader viability and affordability constraints across the wider housing market. To find out more about HBF membership and our group member meetings visit 👇 lnkd.in/gUdY3Wzs

Home building supports around 734,000 jobs across England, including 9,000 apprentices, graduates and trainees. From construction and planning to sales, engineering and skilled trades, home building supports a wide range of jobs and career opportunities. This matters at a time when 1.77 million people across the UK are out of work, with 16% of 16– to 24-year-olds currently unemployed. Home building has an important role to play in creating opportunities, developing skills and helping people build a career.

“Without sustained investment in planning teams, there is a real risk that the benefits of planning reform will not be fully realised” - Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at the Home Builders Federation. Our latest report examines staffing levels, vacancies, staff turnover, and the use of agency workers across planning departments English and Welsh councils during the 2025/26 financial year. The findings are significant, and we urge ministers to ensure that new planning reforms are backed by additional resources, so that they can be implemented. Read the 2026 Planning on Empty report 👇️ hbf.co.uk/research-insight/p…

The consequences of an under-resourced planning system are clear with only 20% of major planning applications determined within the statutory 13-week target. Meanwhile councils consistently identify a lack of staff and resources as one of the main reasons they are unable to monitor, allocate and spend Section 106 funds efficiently. As the regulatory and compliance environment becomes increasingly complex, with new regulations like Biodiveristy Net Gain, the strain on LPA teams will only intensify. That's why we're calling for Government to recognise the funding pressures facing local authorities and provide sustained, long-term funding to support councils in recruiting and retaining permanent planning staff. We are also urging ministers to ensure that new planning reforms are backed by additional resources, so that they can be implemented, and to publish annual data on the planning department's capacity and performance.

Could the New Homes Accelerator help get your site moving? Join us this Thursday 17 September, 11am –12pm to hear how the NHA can help tackle barriers to housing delivery, and put your questions directly to the team. Register now 👉 hbf.co.uk/events/new-homes-a…

Home builders invest significantly in local communities and infrastructure, helping to deliver schools, Affordable Housing, transport improvements and public open spaces that benefit both new and existing residents. However, our research estimates £9 billion of contributions are currently held unspent by local authorities, leaving some communities without vital new infrastructure. That’s why we’re calling for the developer contributions system to be reformed to improve transparency and accountability, so community benefits are delivered sooner.

Next month, the Building Safety Levy comes into force… …despite 91% of SME home builders saying it will make developments financially unviable. 🗣️ David O'Leary, Executive Director at HBF

Our Women into Home Building programme has been designed by the industry to give women a practical introduction to a career in site management, from understanding key skills to gaining experience on a live site. Find out more and apply to our latest cohort by 20 September 👉 pathwayctm.com/services/wome…

36% of SME home builders have already delayed, redesigned or cancelled schemes ahead of the Building Safety Levy. The levy contributes to the rising sum to build each new home, which now stands at around £76,000, adding further fiscal pressure to small home builders. That's why we're calling on Government to pause the levy and assess its impact on viability

Across England, 209,000 homes were delivered in 2024/25, bringing billions of pounds of investment to local communities. HBF’s estimates show this includes 👇 🔸 £46 billion of economic activity, including an additional £420 million in council tax 🔸 Over £9 billion for Affordable Housing 🔸 Around 734,000 jobs supported, including around 9,000 apprentices, graduates or trainees 🔸 £6 billion in spending in local shops 🔸 £1.3 billion for infrastructure, including around £600 million for new and improved schools – enough to fund 34,000 school places 🔸 £188 million in spending for open spaces and leisure facilities, enough to fund 1,000 community games areas or more than 1,600 football pitches

Help to Buy didn't just support buyers. It helped double housing supply. By 2018, housing delivery in England had doubled compared with pre-scheme levels, driven by higher sales rates, increased confidence and mortgage availability no longer acting as a major constraint on growth. Since the scheme closed, housing output has steadily fallen back towards 200,000 homes a year.

Without a consistent approach to the negotiation, approval and adoption of new roads, local authorities apply different standards, fees, timescales, bond requirements and approaches to calculating costs. Our research shows that highway bond costs vary from £15,400 to £1.4 million, and timescales to adoption are taking up to 12 years. This not only makes it difficult for developers to accurately assess the cost and timing of a development before construction begins, it also means that local authorities are caught managing an avoidable administrative burden. Meanwhile, communities are left paying separately for the management of roads which should be covered by their council tax. We’re calling on Government to introduce national standards, and mandate adoption of roads on new build estates.

We’re closing out the 2026 HBF Planning and Technical Conferences after two days of insightful discussion, fresh ideas and valuable conversations. From the pivotal challenges facing our industry to innovative developments and new approaches, the conferences brought together colleagues from across the home building ecosystem to share expertise, challenge thinking and explore the issues shaping the future of the sector. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the conversation. And we’re already looking ahead… ➡️ Next up: HBF Housing Market Intelligence Conference 📍 Savoy Place, London 🗓️ 7 October Limited tickets are still available, secure yours now 👇️ buff.ly/kUDF4IU #HBFTech26 #HBFPlanning26

This week, to mark HBF Technical Conference, we’ll be releasing a new report examining cost and timescale implications of highways adoption on new housing developments. We were staggered by the latest findings of our FOI exercise. Since 2018, by what percentage has the average highway bond cost increased? Hazard a guess - closest figure secures industry kudos... 👇