Committee publication · Correspondence · 8 June 2026
Letter from the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to unlocking land for housing evidence session follow-up, 1 June 2026
From: Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry: Unlocking land for housing
Summary
The Permanent Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government responds to the Public Accounts Committee's follow-up queries from a 21 May 2026 evidence session on unlocking land for housing. The letter addresses four commitments: Homes England's retrospective geospatial modelling of housing completions (90% of HBF-LTF projects, 30% of HBF-IL), delivery metrics for Mayoral Strategic Authorities receiving £1.3bn of the National Housing Delivery Fund, the timeline for establishing NHDF pipeline details (expected by end-year via Programme Business Case), and the structured monitoring and evaluation framework including quarterly HMT reporting and external evaluation within 12 months.
Key findings
- Homes England has completed geospatial retrospective work on approximately 90% of HBF-LTF and 30% of HBF-IL projects; plans to expand this across all projects within one year and implement geospatial tracking for the new National Housing Delivery Fund from launch.
- £1.3bn of the NHDF has been devolved to the most established Mayoral Strategic Authorities with published Outcomes Frameworks setting clear targets for homes unlocked, starts on site, and completions by March 2029.
- NHDF pipeline and housing delivery estimates will be confirmed through Programme Business Case approval process expected to complete by end of 2026, with the Committee to be notified of any delays.
- A structured monitoring and evaluation approach will assess NHDF performance against strategic objectives and housing delivery targets, with quarterly reporting to HMT and NISTA and external evaluation reports within 12 months.
- Homes England has drafted a full evaluation plan that will be integrated into broader fund-level evaluation, with interim external reports timed to align with HMT review points.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Dame Sarah Healey, Public Accounts Committee, Homes England, National Audit Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, HM Treasury, NISTA
Notable line
“Homes England is committed to tracking the delivery of completions on land unlocked by the new National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) from the launch of the programme …”
Key Quotes
“Homes England has undertaken retrospective work to understand the completions of new homes on land unlocked by the Home Building Fund: Long Term Fund (HBF-LTF) and the Home Building Fund: Infrastructure Loans”
“The department has devolved £1.3bn of NHDF to the most established MSAs. This funding is delivered through the Integrated Settlements that these MSAs are receiving”
“The NHDF pipeline and the estimated number of homes to be delivered will be confirmed through the Programme Business Case approval process. This is underway and we expect this to be completed, and approval received, by the end of the year.”
“Success will be measured against agreed strategic objectives, housing delivery targets, and key performance indicators. This will be supported by quarterly reporting to HMT and NISTA”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗