This meeting was the first of the Delivering Affordable Homes in Partnership Task and Finish Group. It focused on establishing the group's role and agreeing on the scope of its work. A scoping report was presented to the group for discussion.

Scope of the Group's Work

The Delivering Affordable Homes in Partnership Task and Finish Group was set up to investigate how Lewisham Council can maximise its delivery of affordable housing through partnerships. The group's focus is on exploring innovative approaches, examining alternative financial models, and identifying opportunities for collaboration to increase the supply of affordable homes in Lewisham. The group's findings and recommendations will be compiled into a final report for the Mayor and Cabinet.

The work of the task and finish group will focus on a range of issues related to the delivery of affordable housing in the borough.

Definition of affordable housing

The group will use the definition of affordable housing set out in the government’s National Planning Policy Framework¹:

‘housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market’.

This includes:

• Social rent
• Affordable rent
• Intermediate rent
• Low-cost home ownership
• Shared ownership
• Rent to buy

The need for affordable housing in Lewisham

The scoping report provides context on the need for affordable housing in London. It notes that the capital is facing a deepening housing crisis, marked by rising homelessness and a severe shortage of affordable homes, with Lewisham alone having 2,826 households in temporary accommodation as of November 2024.

The role of local authorities in delivering affordable housing

The report highlights the important role that local authorities play in delivering affordable housing. Councils can contribute by:

• Building homes themselves.
• Partnering with other organisations such as housing associations, community partners, or private sector partners.
• Using their planning powers. For example, through Section 106 agreements, local councils can require developers to provide a percentage of affordable housing within new developments.

The report notes that Lewisham Council already directly delivers homes through its 'Building for Lewisham' programme, but that it is important to explore other ways to maximise the delivery of affordable housing.

Innovative approaches to affordable housing delivery

The report highlights the need for innovative approaches to affordable housing delivery. The task and finish group has identified a number of areas of focus, including:

• Innovative delivery models and partnerships. This includes exploring models such as joint ventures, where the council partners with a private company or housing association to deliver new homes.
• Financial partnerships and funding mechanisms. This includes exploring alternative funding models, such as social impact bonds.
• Engagement with housing developers. The task and finish group wants to understand the challenges that developers face in delivering affordable housing in Lewisham, and how the council can support them to deliver more.
• Engagement with Registered Housing Providers. The task and finish group plans to work with housing associations to better understand how they can work together to deliver more affordable housing.
• Learning from good practice. The task and finish group will look at examples of innovative affordable housing delivery from other parts of the country.

Timescale and next steps

The task and finish group aims to complete its work within nine months. During that time, it will conduct research, gather evidence, and engage with stakeholders. It will then produce a final report with recommendations for the Mayor and Cabinet.

The scoping report concludes by stating:

The TFG will aim to ensure a robust and comprehensive approach to evidence collection. While the outlined methods and stakeholders provide a strong foundation, the TFG may identify additional sources of evidence or relevant stakeholders as its work progresses.