Preparing for SAHP: How Housing Providers, Local Authorities and Consultants Can Position Themselves for Success

The Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026–2036 offers the sector something it has lacked for more than a decade: long-term certainty. With a ten-year programme window and a strengthened focus on Social Rent, quality, sustainability and regional alignment, SAHP presents significant opportunities for those who prepare early.

This insight explores the practical steps housing providers, local authorities and development partners should take now to position themselves for success.

Align Development Pipelines With Regional Priorities

SAHP gives a formal role to the six Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (EMSAs), who will help shape strategic priorities, influence funding decisions, and coordinate regional approaches to regeneration and housing delivery. This means organisations must now:

Understand EMSA housing, transport and growth strategies
Map current and future development pipelines against regional objectives
Build relationships with combined authorities and local authority leaders
Demonstrate how schemes contribute to wider place-based outcomes

Strategic fit is a core assessment criterion. Early engagement will significantly strengthen funding applications, especially for organisations considering Strategic Partnerships.

Strengthen Cost, Viability and Lifecycle Modelling

With SAHP requiring at least 60% of delivery to be Social Rent, viability will be one of the biggest challenges facing providers. To prepare, organisations should:

Refresh cost models using the latest inflation and market data
Stress-test schemes against multiple economic scenarios
Integrate lifecycle costing and sustainability modelling early
Benchmark costs and grant assumptions with emerging Homes England guidance
Identify opportunities for value engineering without compromising quality

Consultants, including cost managers and quantity surveyors, will play a crucial role. SAHP marks a shift toward deeper, evidence-led business case development, making accurate financial modelling essential from the outset.

Determine the Most Appropriate Funding Route

SAHP offers two main routes: Continuous Market Engagement (CME) and a suite of Strategic Partnerships. Choosing the right path is fundamental and depends on:

Pipeline size and maturity
Organisational capacity to manage multi-year governance
Appetite for collaboration or consortium delivery
Internal programme management and audit readiness

Smaller organisations may benefit from CME or local partnerships, while those with larger pipelines may consider Strategic Partnership Plus. Early assessment will prevent misalignment and ensure internal readiness.

Strengthen Governance, Assurance and Reporting Structures

Homes England has made deliverability, auditability and quality assurance central to SAHP. To meet these expectations, organisations may need to:

Enhance programme management frameworks
Establish clear risk management and escalation processes
Strengthen internal reporting structures
Improve documentation for design, procurement and compliance
Integrate Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) across governance

Employer’s Agents, project managers and programme managers will be integral in providing external assurance, ensuring evidence is captured consistently throughout the development lifecycle.

Reassess Regeneration Opportunities

SAHP reopens opportunities for estate regeneration, provided schemes demonstrate net additional affordable homes. Providers should now review:

Previously stalled regeneration schemes
Opportunities for phased redevelopment
Long-term master plans that align with regional infrastructure
Decant, re-provision and rehousing strategies
Cost tracking and viability considerations over multi-phase programmes

The 10-year programme horizon provides the stability needed to deliver complex, multi-stage regeneration that was not feasible under shorter funding cycles.

Embed Sustainability, Design Quality and Accessibility Early

Design quality and sustainability expectations are significantly elevated under SAHP. Providers must evidence how schemes will:

Deliver high-quality, accessible homes
Meet or exceed Building Regulations and NDSS
Reduce carbon and improve energy efficiency
Provide long-term social value
Support healthier, inclusive communities

These principles must be embedded from the concept stage. Retrofitting quality later will compromise both design and funding prospects.

Build Strong, Long-Term Delivery Partnerships

SAHP’s scale and complexity will place pressure on the supply chain. Organisations can strengthen delivery by:

Engaging consultants earlier in the planning cycle
Forming long-term relationships with QS, EA and PM teams
Establishing collaborative frameworks with contractors and designers
Sharing data, cost metrics and design standards across partners

Partnership depth, not just breadth, will be key to demonstrating deliverability and value for money.

Conclusion

SAHP represents a generational opportunity to deliver more, better-quality affordable homes. But success will depend on early preparation, strong governance, and strategic partnerships. Organisations that invest in readiness now, aligning pipelines, strengthening viability modelling, embedding design quality and building resilient delivery teams, will be best positioned to secure funding and lead the next decade of affordable housing delivery.

For further information or to discuss any points in more detail, please contact Chris Heavey – C.Heavey@pooledick.co.uk

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Preparing for SAHP: How Housing Providers, Local Authorities and Consultants Can Position Themselves for Success