Housing minister James Browne is expected to announce the move today. Alamy Stock Photo
turnkey homes
New funding applications will close at the end of 2027, with councils and approved housing bodies expected to focus on their own building programmes.
HOUSING MINISTER JAMES Browne is to announce plans to end funding applications for ‘turnkey’ social housing purchases from the end of next year, shifting the focus towards homes developed by councils and approved housing bodies.
Under the planned change, local authorities and approved housing bodies will have until 31 December 2027 to submit applications to the Department of Housing.
No new proposals will be accepted for funding approval after that date.
Turnkey acquisitions involve buying newly built, completely finished, functional homes from developers.
The change targets projects offered for sale after construction has started or finished, where councils or housing bodies have had no opportunity to influence the type of homes being delivered.
Browne is expected to announce the move today, with the transition period intended to give councils and housing bodies time to adjust their development programmes.
The minister is understood to have been highly critical of councils’ reliance on purchasing homes that he believes would otherwise have been available to private buyers.
He has also publicly criticised the level of direct construction by local authorities.
The stated aim is to increase the availability of homes across both the social and private sectors, although the briefing does not set out how many additional homes the change is expected to deliver.
Future delivery is intended to place greater emphasis on councils’ and housing bodies’ own building programmes, alongside partnerships involving the Land Development Agency.
Private developers will still have a role, but the intention is to involve them earlier so that projects are designed around identified social housing needs and use standardised designs.
The December 2027 deadline concerns applications for funding approval, rather than a requirement for all purchases to be completed by then.
A circular setting out the revised policy and transition arrangements is expected to be issued shortly.