By Sarah Davey, Head of Development, CHIC
The National Housing Bank (NHB) is a new government public finance institution with the ambition to accelerate the delivery of new homes and communities, whilst also enabling the regeneration of towns and cities across England.
Backed by the UK government, the National Housing Bank will work with house builders, developers, investors and registered providers, offering purpose built finance, including loans, equity and guarantees, to get stalled or risky projects moving. The Bank will also work with Mayors through Homes England’s new regional model to strengthen collaborative working with partners and leaders.
A subsidiary of Homes England, the bank is powered by the Agency’s expertise and will support the delivery of more than 500,000 homes and a raft of major regeneration and mixed use schemes, alongside unlocking more than £53 billion of private investment over the next ten years.
It brings together Homes England’s capital products, land powers and expertise into one coherent investment vehicle.
How can the NHB help the housing crisis?
It’s a powerful new lever that can accelerate delivery and unlock investment at scale. While it won’t solve the housing crisis on its own, no single measure can, it represents a significant step in the right direction.
Where can it make a difference?
- Unlocking stalled sites where private finance won’t go due to risk
- Supporting SME builders who often struggle with access to capital
- Backing regeneration and mixed use schemes that need patient investment
- Scaling build to rent in underinvested urban areas (e.g. the first £100m partnership with Aviva to deliver 3300 rental homes)
- Co-ordinating investment across regions with a single, strategic framework.
Conclusion
The National Housing Bank is a key financial tool to support the Governments housing strategy.
The NHB is a significant and overdue intervention, arguably the most ambitious financing reform in a decade. It will speed up delivery, accelerate private investment and support regeneration at scale. It is a positive step forward in uncertain times.
If you have any questions about what these changes mean for your organisation or want to talk through your development pipeline, feel free to get in touch with Sarah Davey ([email protected]). We will also be continuing the conversation at our annual CHIC Conference & Exhibition on 3rd June 2026, free to attend by all public sector colleagues.
