Home Builders Federation

📢 Final call for applications to the spring intake of our Women into Home Building programme. Applications close this Sunday, 22 March. 📅 The spring cohort will run from 5 to 22 May and includes one week of online training followed by a two-week, hands-on work placement. 📍 Placements are available on home building sites across England, Wales and Scotland. Find full eligibility criteria and apply online 👉 pathwayctm.com/services/women…

Just 40% of SME builders expect to increase the number of homes they start building in the next three months. At a time when increasing housing supply is so crucial, this is an alarming figure. Today, the results of our sentiment survey have been published, assessing barriers to delivery and supply faced by our SME membership. Barriers and pressures in the home building industry are more acutely felt by SME home builders, especially the ability to… 📌Absorb market volatility 📌Tackle rising construction costs 📌Endure the increasing regulatory burden Read the results of the quarterly survey 👇 hbf.co.uk/sme-sentiment-…

Last chance to register ⏳ Join us today at 2pm for our webinar on how the home building industry can help shape the future workforce through stronger links with Further Education. From guest talks to FE teaching, we’ll explore practical ways to get involved. 📅 Thursday 19 March ⏰ 2.00–3.30pm ✅ Open to all Register now 👇

Concerns over infrastructure pressures are often used to block new planning applications… yet an estimated £9 billion in payments made by home builders to support infrastructure remains unspent by councils in England and Wales. It doesn’t add up. Pressure on local education, for example, shouldn’t automatically mean refusal if there are already sufficient funds available to expand public service capacity. That’s why we’re calling for existing unspent Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments to be factored in when reviewing new applications.

We currently have 50 exciting opportunities across England, Scotland, and Wales for women to gain site management experience. 👇 pathwayctm.com/services/women…

There's less than one week left to apply for the latest intake of the Women into Home Building programme. Hear first-hand how a placement with one of our participating home builders can transform your career 👇

Earlier this morning, our Executive Director David O'Leary spoke at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee to give evidence on the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. New regulatory requirements are too often introduced through legislation but implemented without sufficient consideration of the capacity of public bodies or other relevant actors to resource the process or provide clear guidance to industry. A sensible move from leasehold to commonhold needs to be supported by a multitude of mortgage lenders, insurers and conveyancers. This must be a priority as the Government proceeds with the transition from leasehold to commonhold as the default tenure for new flats.

Registration is free for members and non-members alike 👇 hbf.co.uk/events/industr…

How can the home building industry work with Further Education to inspire the new construction workforce? There’s still time to sign up for our open webinar for a discussion on how closer collaboration between industry and FE can improve student work-readiness and strengthen the future workforce through practical interventions. Join... 🗣️ Andy George, Director of Industry Attraction and Skills at HBF 🗣️Neil Dolan and Scott Brown from Hugh Baird College 🗣️Paul Curry, Head of Training at Persimmon PLC 🗣️Andrew King, FE Teacher Recruitment Policy Lead at the Department for Education 📅 19 March ⏰ 2.00 pm to 3.30pm

Building the homes of the future starts with building the workforce behind them. At yesterday's HBF Skills Reception, MPs met apprentices, trainees, graduates and new entrants from across the home building industry to see first-hand the breadth of careers and entry routes our sector offers. The industry is already taking proactive steps to future-proof the sector and we're proud of the positive impact industry initiatives are already having in attracting new recruits and upskilling our existing workforce.

This afternoon we were joined by more than 25 MPs and Peers, and around 170 home building apprentices, trainees, new entrants and industry representatives at our Parliamentary Skills reception to explore career pathways in the industry. Thank you to all who joined us and a special thank you to Lauren Edwards MP for sponsoring the event #HomeBuilding #Careers #BuildYourFuture

We’ve arrived at Westminster for the annual HBF Parliamentary Skills Reception. We’re looking forward to celebrating careers in home building with over 150 trainees, graduates and apprentices with MPs across the political spectrum.

In London, the amount of developer funding unspent by local authorities per household represents a substantial proportion of the average council tax bill… The London Borough of Tower Hamlets alone holds over £260 million in unspent developer contributions, nine times the national average on a per-household basis. Meanwhile, Hammersmith and Fulham holds the highest level of unspent Affordable Housing contributions at £30.5 million… In this borough, average house prices are 16 times average earnings, making it the fourth least affordable district in the country. This unspent funding could make a meaningful difference to local infrastructure and communities. Recent Government announcements such as the Final Local Government Financial Settlement are welcome... BUT Local authorities need further support to get on a sustainable financial footing to ensure they have the capacity to deliver much-needed infrastructure improvements on time and in full.

Transparency in how developer contributions are spent by local authorities is declining… …councils are increasingly failing to publish Infrastructure Funding Statements (IFSs) by the statutory December 31 deadline. These statements are used to report receipts, spending plans, and unspent funds, and are the main way communities can scrutinise developer contributions. While 90% of councils met the deadline in 2020… … just 75% published statements in time for 2025’s deadline, reflecting chronic understaffing, limited capacity, and weak monitoring of how these funds are managed. That’s why we’re calling for… 👉 Local authority planning department budgets to be placed on a sustainable footing. 👉 A national database of IFSs to ensure that central government has oversight of unspent funds.

“The capacity crisis in local government should be a major cause of concern for local communities and for ministers” Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at the Home Builders Federation. Our latest research uncovers the developer contributions currently held unspent by local authorities across England and Wales, totalling £9 billion… …a third of these funds have been held in local authority bank accounts for 5 or more years. Read the full report 👉 hbf.co.uk/policy/unspent…

Apply to the programme 👇pathwayctm.com/services/women…

No experience on site? You don't need to have worked in construction to become a Women into Home Building candidate. Career returners, career changers, women already working in the industry, and those looking for a fresh challenge are all encouraged to apply for the latest cohort to discover what a career in site management could look like. Tag a woman who should see this 👇 #WomenIntoHomeBuilding #WomenInConstruction #WICWeek2026

Now included in thinkhouse.org.uk :: @HomeBuildersFed REPORT :: Unspent developer contributions :: Awaiting Editorial Panel assessment. #ukhousing #housingresearch #housingpolicy

We will continue to put forward proposals for an equity loan scheme to tackle market constraints - ensuring it is accessible across the market so SME home builders are able to participate, therefore supporting more hardworking first-time buyers to achieve their homeownership ambitions. #SpringStatement