Spring Budget 2020 – NHF briefing

We've produced a briefing that summarises the key housing announcements by the government in the Spring Budget, and our response to each.

This briefing was drafted before the coronavirus crisis took hold and we haven’t included the details of the policy changes the government has announced to support the country’s response, or any analysis of the impact of the crisis on the measures announced.

But we are working closely with housing associations and the government on responding to coronavirus, as well as the on other issues covered in this document. Find out more about our response to the coronavirus crisis.

Budget announcements

The Chancellor announced a package of important housing measures, including:

• An expanded Affordable Homes Programme committing £12bn over five years.
• A £1bn building safety fund for removing unsafe cladding.
• New funding to address rough sleeping and provide support.
• Permanent changes to the welfare system including an extra £12.5m for the new breathing space initiative for those with problem debt from early 2021.
• Temporary changes to the welfare system to help deal with the impact of coronavirus.

We welcomed these commitments from the government, which reflect the sector’s calls for funding certainty, support to remediate unsafe buildings, action on homelessness and welfare reform.

We will continue to work with the government and with housing associations on the detail of these Budget proposals over the coming weeks and months.

Download the briefing