The Devolution Revolution: What New Housing Powers Mean for Social Housing Professionals

Imagine a future where local mayors have direct control over housing budgets, planning decisions, and even a share of income tax revenues to fund affordable homes. This isn't fantasy - it's the "devolution revolution" sweeping across England, with profound implications for every housing association, council team and NHS housing professional. As Andy Burnham pushes for Greater Manchester to gain unprecedented powers over housing policy, we examine what this seismic shift means for your organisation.

The New Landscape of Housing Devolution

The government's latest Levelling Up White Paper outlines ambitious plans to transfer significant housing powers from Whitehall to combined authorities. Key proposals include:

• Direct control over a percentage of local income tax for housing investment
• Streamlined planning powers to accelerate social housing development
• Greater flexibility in Right to Buy receipts spending
• Localised affordable housing targets and definitions

For housing associations and councils, this represents both opportunity and challenge. As one housing director told us: "We're looking at completely new partnership models with metro mayors that simply didn't exist five years ago."

Case Study: The Greater Manchester Model

Andy Burnham's vision for Greater Manchester offers a blueprint others may follow:

• £500m housing investment fund controlled locally
• Power to set local affordability criteria for new developments
• Integrated health and housing strategies with NHS partners

Practical Implications for Housing Providers

1. New Funding Streams Require New Strategies

The potential for mayors to retain a share of income tax creates opportunities for innovative financing models. Housing associations should:

• Review partnership agreements with combined authorities
• Explore joint venture opportunities for supported housing developments
• Align investment plans with emerging local priorities

2. Planning Shifts Demand Earlier Engagement

With metro mayors gaining stronger planning powers, the traditional Section 106 negotiation landscape is changing. Our resources section contains recent case studies on navigating these new dynamics.

3. Data Sharing Becomes Critical

Integrated health and housing strategies require robust data sharing between councils, housing providers and care providers. The NHS Integrated Care Framework provides useful guidance on compliant data partnerships.

Preparing Your Organisation for Change

Based on interviews with early-adopter housing associations, we recommend these actionable steps:

1. Map your political relationships: Identify key decision-makers in emerging combined authorities
2. Audit your development pipeline: Assess which schemes might benefit from new funding streams
3. Review your exempt accommodation strategy: Localised rules may emerge
4. Upskill teams: New competencies in local government finance will be valuable

Key Questions for Housing Leaders

As you prepare for this devolution revolution, consider:

• How might local affordability definitions impact your business model?
• What new partnerships could you form with health services under devolved systems?
• Are your current systems flexible enough to adapt to local variations in policy?

The Future is Local

The shift towards metro mayors controlling housing policy represents the most significant restructuring of English housing governance in decades. While challenges exist - particularly around ensuring consistent standards across regions - the potential for more responsive, place-based solutions is immense.

For housing professionals, success will depend on:

• Building relationships beyond traditional council boundaries
• Developing flexible business models that can adapt to local variations
• Leveraging technology like Social Home's platform to manage complexity