Housing: From ambition to delivery

Capacity building for the long term will be essential to realise ambitions for a renaissance in council housebuilding.

The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) helps councils across England turn housing ambition into deliverable programmes. Local Partnerships, jointly owned by the Local Government Association, HM Treasury, and the Welsh Government, is the principal delivery partner for CHoSS, helping councils to explore, restart and accelerate council housebuilding. Following a successful first phase, the service will continue through to March 2029 as part of the wider Capacity to Build programme. 

Since launch, CHoSS has engaged with more than 100 councils at different stages of their housebuilding journey. Some are restarting direct delivery; others are strengthening established programmes, governance, funding, development pipelines and delivery. Through Local Partnerships, CHoSS gives councils access to housing, regeneration, commercial and local government expertise that can be difficult to resource individually.

Experience shows that councils rarely lack ambition. The challenge is turning political commitment and housing need into sustainable delivery. Councils value practical support including programme assurance, viability, governance, funding and delivery models, investment bids and regeneration. This support is strengthening decision-making, developing investment proposals, reviewing delivery arrangements and moving sites closer to development.

CHoSS demonstrates why sustained capacity-building matters. Development teams, governance, commercial expertise and pipelines cannot be rebuilt through short-term interventions.

CHoSS is increasingly important as the Government places greater emphasis on social rented housing and a stronger council role in delivery. Building municipal development capability, however, takes time. Housing associations remain essential partners, while councils respond to local need, shape places and provide long-term stewardship. Both face pressures from building safety, decarbonisation and existing homes, while councils also face escalating homelessness and temporary accommodation costs. Combined authorities’ growing role in housing, growth and regeneration reinforces the need for strong development capability.

Greater emphasis on social rent also raises questions about public investment. Higher subsidy per home means fixed budgets may deliver fewer homes, but social housing can bring longer-term benefits, including reduced temporary accommodation pressures and wider public expenditure.

CHoSS demonstrates why sustained capacity-building matters. Development teams, governance, commercial expertise and pipelines cannot be rebuilt through short-term interventions.

The continuation of CHoSS through the three-year Capacity to Build programme is crucial. It can help councils develop the skills, structures, partnerships and confidence needed to translate ambition into delivery at scale, while supporting a balanced housing system in which councils and housing associations contribute to meeting local need.

Michael O’Doherty is head of housing delivery at Local Partnerships and serves as a non-executive director of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group in Manchester