The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today, Thursday 13 February 2025, reacted to the Government’s plans to build a new generation of new towns and invest £350 million in the supply of affordable and social housing, both announced this week.
A funding top-up promises to deliver 2,800 affordable homes, with half designated for social rent, plus 250 more council homes.
It was also announced that over 100 sites in England have come forward to be considered for the development of new towns, and the New Towns Taskforce has set out principles for new towns to deliver affordable housing, infrastructure and access to green spaces.
RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said:
“The Government has made no bones about its ambition to address the housing crisis, and this week’s announcements put positive intentions into action.
We welcome the focus on ensuring new towns are well-designed and provide communities with both affordable housing and essential infrastructure and amenities.
Delivering new homes is crucial to the Government’s growth agenda. While we’re pleased to see funding committed to this, notably for affordable housing and unlocking brownfield and council-owned sites, it will take innovative solutions to meet the scale of need.
We outlined one way to deliver a pipeline of new social housing in our Foundations for the Future report. Our model could reduce the cost of delivering social housing by using public land to build mixed-tenure developments, and reinvesting profits. It’s time to try ideas like this to secure the future of our housing.
We look forward to continuing our work with the Government to achieve this shared goal.”
Read our report, Foundations for the Future: a new delivery model for social housing.
Notes to editors:
- Media contact: Ruby.OShea@riba.org
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow @RIBA on X/Twitter for regular updates.
