Additional affordable housing

Affordable housing provides a route to becoming a homeowner or tenant for those whose needs are not met by the private housing market. Affordable housing includes homes which are sold at a reduced market value, shared ownership homes, and social rent or other affordable rental scheme homes.

The additional affordable housing figures provide the gross number of starts and completions of new affordable homes (including new builds and acquisitions), not accounting for losses in affordable housing stock, such as demolitions or sales. Further information is provided in the 'Things you need to know about the data' section below.

The latest figures cover the financial year 2024/25.

Key figures

There were 816 starts in housing construction of additional affordable homes and 1,734 completions in Lancashire-12.
There were 1,206 starts in housing construction of additional affordable homes and 1,983 completions in Lancashire-14.
Blackburn with Darwen (346), Wyre (337), and Preston (135) had the largest number of starts. Chorley, Fylde, Lancaster and Rossendale had no starts.
The largest number of completions were in Wyre (410), Preston (337) and West Lancashire (302). Rossendale had no completions.
Compared to 2023/24, in Lancashire-12 there was a 28.6% decrease in the number of starts (England = 3.2% increase) and a 17.6% increase in the number of completions (England = 0.6% increase) of affordable homes.

Affordable homes to purchase

Of the additional affordable home completions for ownership in Lancashire-12, 665 of these were shared ownership and 91 were affordable home ownership completions. The majority of these were new build properties (746).

Wyre (202), West Lancashire (138), South Ribble (116) and Preston (112) had the largest number of shared ownership and affordable home ownership completions.

Compared to previous year, the number of shared ownership (392 in 2023/24) and affordable home ownership (65 in 2023/24) completions increased in 2024/25.

Affordable homes to rent

Of the additional affordable home completions for rent in Lancashire-12, 858 of these were affordable rent, 64 were social rent completions and 56 were intermediate rent. The majority of these were new build properties (954).

Preston (225), Wyre (207), Blackpool (172), and West Lancashire (164) had the largest number of affordable rent, intermediate rent and social rent completions.

Compared to previous year, the number of affordable rent (912 in 2023/24) and social rent completions (50 in 2022/23) decreased in 2024/25. The number of intermediate rent completions (56 in 2022/23) remained the same.

Source: Affordable housing supply in England from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Things you need to know about the data

Figures for the affordable supply of housing are released annually by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). These figures provide the gross annual supply of affordable homes, which includes new build homes and homes purchased from the private sector, but does not take account of losses, such as demolitions or sales.

These figures differ from those published by Homes England twice a year. The Homes England statistics report on affordable housing delivered through its shared ownership and affordable homes programmes, while the figures from MHCLG provide a more complete picture of affordable housing, regardless of funding mechanism. While delivery through Homes England accounts for the majority of affordable housing supply, the scope of the figures from MHCLG is wider than the Homes England figures.

The data includes homes where the cost is met by a private registered or non-registered developer (e.g. Section 106 agreements) or the local authority. Non-registered providers includes those who are not registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), such as unregistered housing associations, private sector developers, and community-led groups. Registered providers include those who registered with the RSH, such as housing associations or arm's length management organisations (ALMOs)).

Note that figures for starts are only available from 2015/16 onward, while completion figures are available from 1991/92 onward.

Affordable housing definition

Affordable housing includes housing which is for rent or for sale, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership or is for essential local workers) and meets definition in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework. This includes discounted market sales housing and other affordable routes to home ownership (such as shared ownership, rent to buy and equity loans), social rents and other affordable housing for rent. From 2021/22, these figures also include homes purchased under the first homes scheme.

Page updated 11 December 2025