Title

HOUSING

Budget 2020: £1bn building safety fund to remove unsafe cladding

A new £1bn fund to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings has been unveiled today by the chancellor.

A new £1bn fund to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings has been unveiled today by the chancellor.

In his 2020 Budget announcement, Rishi Sunak said the £1bn building safety fund will enable all unsafe materials to be removed from public and private buildings more than 18 metres tall.

Mr Sunak also said the Affordable Homes Programme would be extended with a new, multi-year settlement of £12bn, the largest cash injection into affordable housing for a decade.

Nearly £1.1bn of allocations from the Housing Infrastructure Fund will help build nearly 70,000 new homes in high demand areas across the country, he said.

In addition, ‘ambitious' mayors will have access to a new £400m fund to build new homes on brownfield sites.

To help tackle homelessness, the chancellor said a new £650m fund would help rough sleepers move into permanent accommodation, which will provide 6,000 new places and 'enable a step change in support services'.

HOUSING

Funded support for the homes we need to build

By Adele Gritten | 15 January 2026

The Council Housebuilding Support Service is helping to remove the barriers to creating more social housing, writes Adele Gritten.

HOUSING

'Exporting' the housing challenge

By Paul Marinko | 14 January 2026

The growing tendency of councils to use ‘out of area’ placements to discharge their housing responsibilities is increasing tension between local authorities....

HOUSING

Investing in homes that work for councils and residents

By Josie Parsons | 19 December 2025

Delivering homes that are financially sustainable and socially valuable is a priority that’s becoming increasingly challenging. Housing investment discussion...

HOUSING

Planning overhaul to clamp down on 'unjustified local deviation'

By Martin Ford | 16 December 2025

Revised planning rules unveiled by the Government today would result in a ‘default yes’ in favour of development around train stations, on brownfield sites a...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman