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Affordable Housing

Common Affordable Housing Policy Framework

PUSH has developed a common policy framework to ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of affordable housing across the sub-region. Against a background of increasing demand for more affordable housing PUSH is seeking to promote challenging policy targets to ensure that the PUSH growth agenda is as sustainable as possible and that a balanced housing market is achieved in the future, in accordance with the South Hampshire Sub-regional Housing Strategy. PUSH authorities collectively wish to maximise the amount of affordable housing that will be required in South Hampshire as part of the South East Plan (SEP).

Common Affordable Housing Policy Framework PDF 75Kb

It is a central priority for South Hampshire to ensure the affordable and key worker housing needs of the sub-region are met so as to support the economic development strategy as well as to deliver good quality public services. Overall, at least 30% of all new housing planned for 2006. 2026 needs to be affordable in order to address a backlog of existing unmet need and to provide for newly arising needs. In order to achieve this target, Policy SH6 provides that 30-40% of housing on new development sites should be affordable housing. Research shows a need for affordable housing in South Hampshire to be about two thirds rented and one third shared ownership.

The key sub-regional policy principles relating to affordable housing are embedded in the Local Development Frameworks (LDF) in PUSH. All authorities promote consistent policy content within their respective Core Strategies and detailed Development Plan Documents based upon the Common Affordable Housing Policy Framework. Each authority’s LDF Policies have also to considered the evidence from the Housing Market Assessment (HMA) carried out in October 2006 to reflect the unique characteristics of that area, whilst maintaining the PUSH policy principles. It was up to each Authority in PUSH to consider what options may exist to meet the housing needs identified in the HMA.