Update on the Spending Review and our political engagement

The government has now confirmed it will hold a one-year Spending Review next month.

Our submission to the 2020 Spending Review process outlines the key role housing associations are already playing in the nation’s response to coronavirus and how they can be at the heart of our economic and social recovery.

We’re calling for a once-in-a-generation investment in social housing to help the government deliver its priorities of:

• Strengthening recovery by prioritising jobs and skills.
• Levelling up economic opportunity across the country. 
• Improving outcomes in public services.

The Treasury has now announced that a one-year Spending Review will take place in November to prioritise the response to coronavirus. It will focus on the following areas:

• Delivering the Plan for Jobs to support employment.
• Giving public and frontline services enhanced support to continue to fight against the virus.
• Investing in infrastructure to drive economic recovery, Build Back Better and level up the country.

It had previously been announced that a spending review, allocating a three-year settlement for each government department, would take place this autumn. Despite this being a one-year review, it’s clear that the government remains committed to mitigating the long-term impact of coronavirus on the economy.

Ahead of this, it is important that as a sector we continue making the case for the contribution social housebuilding can make in boosting economic recovery, and the role of housing associations in creating jobs, developing skills and supporting public services in the communities they serve – both through our Spending Review asks and the Homes at the Heart campaign.

A three-year review and a budget is expected to take place next year, so there is real opportunity for the sector to continue to build political momentum beyond November.

Our political engagement

Through the Homes at the Heart campaign, and with the help of campaign supporters and members, we’ve built relationships with MPs across all parties, gaining key political backing. We now want to build on this support to press home our call for a once-in-a-generation investment in social housing.

To support our Spending Review submission, we've developed a political engagement programme to build support for our asks. This includes roundtables with the Minister for London Paul Scully MP on social and economic recovery, and with the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth Kwasi Kwarteng MP on decarbonisation, as well as a number of regional MP meetings.

We have also been engaging with members of the House of Lords to raise our asks and highlight the work of housing associations during parliamentary debates and questions.

Find out more about the Homes at the Heart campaign and how you can support our calls for a once-in-generation investment in social housing in the lead up to the Spending Review.