Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026
About the programme
The Mayor has secured £4bn from Government to deliver affordable homes in London under the new Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.
This funding is expected to support starts on site between 2021 and 2026, with completions expected by 2028 for most projects with some strategic sites completing in 2029.
The Mayor will use this programme to maximise the number of new affordable homes in London.
Funding agreements
Funding agreements for Local Authorities and Registered Providers (not for Profit and for Profit) were published on 12 November 2021. The Consortium funding agreements were published on 7 April 2022.
The funding agreements are in a standard form and not subject to negotiation.
The GLA will arrange for engrossments to be sent out to partners with funding allocations.
The GLA expects to sign the majority of contracts via DocuSign.
The Mayor of London launched the Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 Funding Guidance on 24 November 2020.
This Funding Guidance will help housing associations and local authorities to build new affordable homes in London. The Funding Guidance explains how to bid for capital funding from the Mayor and sets out key funding requirements.
If you have any questions about the Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 Funding Guidance please email [email protected]. If you are already an Investment Partner with the GLA, please contact your Area Manager.
- FAQs and other guidance materials (to be uploaded shortly)
- Relevant updates to the Affordable Housing Capital Funding Guide
- New funding agreement templates (to be uploaded shortly)
- New GLA Open Project System (OPS) requirements (to be uploaded shortly)
- Flexibilities to AHP21-26 Programme
- New February 2024 Accelerated Funding Route
Bidding
Following the confirmation of the approved programme with existing contracted partners in July 2023, the programme is now open to new bids via Continuous Market Engagement (CME). Please discuss any proposed projects with the GLA before submitting. The priorities for the remaining programme are:
- Estate Regeneration projects, particularly those offering high levels of additionality (new homes over and above those being replaced)
- Increasing the proportion of social rented homes in the programme to meet London’s most acute need
- Homes that can start in 2023/24 to accelerate the programme
- Supported and specialist provision for vulnerable Londoners.
Assessment of new bids will commence week commencing 4th September and continue until the programme is fully allocated.
Bids for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 must be submitted through the GLA’s Open Project System (GLA OPS). Register and learn more about OPS, or sign in to OPS. Please use the AHP 21-26 OPS User Guide to help submit your bid.
Organisations not currently registered to use GLA OPS are advised to request access using the details provided at the following link: https://ops.london.gov.uk/#/home.
Find out more about becoming a GLA Investment Partner.
All organisations proposing to submit bids for the London Affordable Homes 2021-2026 programme are requested to register their interest to the GLA by emailing:
The GLA will assign a lead GLA officer to each organisation and provide further details about the bidding process. When sending an email to register, bidders should provide the following information:
- The bidding organisation name and address
- Current Registered Provider code (if you have one)
- Current GLA OPS organisation code (if you have one)
- Name, email address and telephone number of your organisation’s lead contact person to receive information regarding the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 bidding process.
Bids for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 are expected to be submitted through the GLA’s Open Project System (GLA OPS). Bidders will be provided with further information about specific GLA OPS requirements when the system is open for bidding and, in advance of this, information will be made available to assist with assembling bidding information for project proposals.
Organisations not currently registered to use GLA OPS are advised to request access using the details provided at the following link: https://ops.london.gov.uk/#/home.
Allocations
On 31 August 2021, the Mayor announced funding allocations following the first funding round. The allocations will see an estimated £3.4bn invested in 29,456 affordable homes being built. The money represents the first funding round of the new AHP, with London given £4bn by the government to spend between 2021 and 2026.
Register and learn more about OPS, or sign in to OPS.
Find out more about becoming a GLA Investment Partner.
Key documents for shared ownership
Equality Impact Assessment
The GLA has undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment for the Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.
The Equality Impact Assessment is an information-gathering tool used to assess the potential impacts of policies on people with the characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act 2010; and to consider how the GLA can eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.
The Equality Impact Assessment addresses the Mayor’s legal duties to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the programme and its proposed policies and has helped shape the preparation of the new programme by ensuring these issues have been considered throughout the process.
Download the Homes for Londoners:Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 Equality Impact Assessment.
Further guidance
Further guidance will be made available on this webpage to support Investment Partners throughout the bidding process and beyond, including on:
- the Mayor’s expectations for Design and Sustainability
- the Mayor’s requirements for Building Safety
- bidding for Supported and Specialist Housing
- Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) categories and definition framework
- Guidance for meeting equality, diversity and inclusion funding conditions
- Responses to Frequently Asked Questions about bidding requirements (v6, 8 November 2021)
- A summary of Assumed Development Costs by local authority location, tenure and bedroom. See FAQs.
- Partner AHP 21-26 Named Project Checklist and Specialist and Supported Housing Checklist which both give guidance to what information is required when bidding and during the project lifetime.
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