CHoSS
CHoSS provides fully funded, practical support to help councils build capacity, overcome barriers and accelerate council housebuilding.
The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) provides free, tailored advice, specialist expertise and practical support for councils looking to explore, start or accelerate council housebuilding. Funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Government’s Capacity to Build programme, CHoSS helps councils strengthen the capacity, capability and delivery arrangements needed to deliver more council-led social and affordable homes.
Since CHoSS launched in 2025, more than 100 councils have engaged with the service and over half have received tailored support. Together, those support packages represent more than 1,500 days of fully funded technical expertise. With Capacity to Build now running through to March 2029, CHoSS is continuing to support councils to start, strengthen and accelerate council housebuilding
Local Partnerships supports CHoSS by bringing practical housing, commercial and delivery expertise to councils. We help councils understand their options, review delivery plans, strengthen business cases, assess sites, develop pipelines and address barriers to council-led housebuilding. Scroll down to register your interest, explore our webinar replays and access further CHoSS resources.
Who funds CHoSS?
CHoSS is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of Capacity to Build. MHCLG is investing a further £46 million over three years, from April 2026 to March 2029, to expand its skills and capacity support for councils. Capacity to Build is delivered in partnership with the Local Government Association and Homes England and has three complementary elements: the Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), the Council Housebuilding Support Fund (CHSF), and the expanded Pathways to Planning programme. CHoSS is delivered by the LGA.
How long is the programme funded for?
Capacity to Build will run from April 2026 to March 2029. CHoSS is funded as part of Capacity to Build and will operate throughout this three-year programme period.
How much support will CHoSS provide?
CHoSS aims to provide up to 225 tailored support packages between April 2026 and March 2029. Councils may receive more than one package where different or additional support needs are identified.
The service is available to councils at different stages of their housebuilding journey, including councils engaging with CHoSS for the first time, councils already receiving support and councils returning with new or changing priorities.
How does it work?
The process is straightforward and councils are supported throughout:
- Express your interest
Complete the short CHoSS Expression of Interest form. - Discuss your priorities
A CHoSS Senior Regional Adviser will work with you to understand your ambitions, priorities and challenges. - Assess needs and agree support
Where appropriate, a structured self-assessment is used to identify strengths, barriers and priorities before agreeing the right support. - Receive support and review progress
CHoSS agrees a tailored support plan with the council and works with you to build capability, address barriers and review progress.
What kind of support is available?
Support through CHoSS is flexible and tailored to each council’s circumstances, ambitions and identified barriers to delivery, provided that it relates to council housebuilding. Support can range from focused advice and workshops through to more detailed specialist and technical support. Examples of support that CHoSS has provided or may provide, depending on identified need, include:
- Scoping and reviewing what a council needs to do to take new development forward
- Exploration of options for councils to commence or accelerate delivery (including delivery of options appraisals)
- Commercial reviews of council development programmes to maximise value for money
- Conducting or reviewing site valuations and appraisals
- Delivery of workshops on areas of specific concern or interest
- Hands on support in the delivery of live projects
- Project planning, or other support, in reopening Housing Revenue Accounts
- Support for the development of pipelines of sites for new council housebuilding
- Commercial reviews of existing delivery vehicles
- Development of affordable homes strategies
What counts as ‘council housebuilding’ for these purposes?
Delivery of new homes by the Council. This can be through an existing HRA, through reopening an HRA, direct delivery outside of the HRA (if below the threshold), or through a wholly owned delivery vehicle. Better use of existing buildings, or private sector led development, are not in scope. Estates regeneration schemes could be in scope if they lead to an increase in housing.
Does my council need to be stockholding or have a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to benefit from this programme?
No. CHoSS is available to councils with or without a Housing Revenue Account (HRA). An HRA is a ring-fenced statutory account used by local housing authorities to account for their council housing.
Under current Government guidance, a local housing authority without an HRA may hold up to 999 social homes outside an HRA, subject to the relevant requirements, including requesting a Direction from the Secretary of State. Once it owns 1,000 or more social homes, it must open an HRA. A council can also choose to open an HRA before reaching the threshold.
CHoSS can support councils considering establishing or reopening an HRA where this forms part of their identified housebuilding support needs.
When can my council access support?
CHoSS is open now to councils across England looking to establish, strengthen or accelerate their delivery of council homes, whether or not they currently own housing stock or have an HRA. Councils can complete the short Expression of Interest form to start a conversation about their priorities and support needs.
Can my council access both CHoSS and the Council Housebuilding Support Fund (CHSF)?
Yes, subject to CHSF eligibility. CHoSS and the Council Housebuilding Support Fund are complementary parts of Capacity to Build. A council receiving support through CHoSS may also access CHSF where the funding is addressing a separate issue or challenge. CHoSS provides free, tailored capacity-building and specialist support, while CHSF is a separate targeted revenue fund delivered in partnership with Homes England which helps eligible councils undertake activity to develop and accelerate bids to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme. CHSF is currently available to eligible councils in England outside London. Further information on current CHSF eligibility, funding and application arrangements is available on GOV.UK.
Making missions reality: discussion to delivery
The test for any new government is whether anything changes, for the better, in practice. This article originally appeared in The MJ as sponsored content from Local Partnerships. That is why delivery capability must be treated as strategic infrastructure. Good policy and ambition are necessary, but not sufficient. Programmes succeed when business cases are robust, […]
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Delivered by CHoSS in partnership with Local Partnerships, this webinar explored the role of Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs) in supporting sustainable council housebuilding, particularly in the context of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). It covered key considerations for councils reviewing or restructuring HRAs, including governance, financial modelling, and delivery approaches.
The session examined transitions from predecessor to successor authorities, strengthening business planning, ensuring compliance with statutory and prudential frameworks, and aligning HRA strategy with wider housing ambitions. It was aimed at senior officers, finance and housing leads, and councillors involved in HRA management and structural change.
Rising costs, competing capital pressures and evolving funding rules mean that financial strategy is now central to council-led housebuilding.
The ‘CHoSS: Funding and finance for council housebuilding’ explored the sources of finance and funding available to councils and, crucially, how to make a clear and credible internal case for investment in housing delivery.
The discussion covered:
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The key financial and funding considerations influencing council housebuilding
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Approaches to structuring and planning investment to support delivery
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Building organisational confidence around housing investment decisions
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Aligning financial strategy with long-term housing ambition
Housing delivery ambition must be matched by organisational readiness.
Part of the CHoSS spring webinar series, this CHoSS Workforce Webinar focuses on workforce capacity, skills and structure, helping councils assess whether they are equipped for sustained housebuilding. The discussion highlights practical support available to strengthen delivery capacity.
Includes:
- what effective housing delivery teams look like
- common capability gaps and structural pressures
- planning workforce pipelines
- support available to strengthen capacity
Led by Local Partnerships, the ‘viability and pipeline’ webinar focused on how councils can build stronger programme confidence by:
- Understanding the key drivers that influence viability
- Identifying why schemes stall and how to unblock them
- Prioritising sites and managing pipeline sequencing
- Strengthening programme-level risk management and decision-making
This session also highlighted how councils can access further support through CHoSS to explore viability challenges in more depth.
Councils are under growing pressure to deliver more homes, often with limited capacity. This free webinar explores how the Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) can help councils build capability and confidence to deliver council homes now and in the future.
Delivered by Local Partnerships LLP and the Local Government Association’s Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), the session covers:
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The support available through CHoSS
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Key challenges councils are currently facing
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Real examples of CHoSS support in action
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How the CHoSS self-assessment helps unlock the right support
Speakers:
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Debbie Ward, Local Government Association
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Martin Walker, Local Partnerships LLP
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Vicky McDermott, Director of Housing and Communities, Newcastle City Council
The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes, is being delivered by the Local Government Association and Local Partnerships.
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