The Social and Affordable Housing Programme SAHP 2026 represents a significant shift in how affordable homes in England, and particularly the North West, must be designed, delivered, and assessed.
For developers, contractors and housing associations, SAHP 2026 isn’t just another funding framework but instead is a blueprint for raising standards, embedding long-term sustainability and making sure that the homes that we’re building today continue to create value for years to come.
At Spirit Homes we see this as an essential framework and something that is quite overdue. SAHP 2026 is an opportunity to combine commitment and craftsmanship with England’s ambition to deliver healthier, greener, and better homes for the population, specifically for us, here in the North West.
Always starting with quality
One of the core principles of SA HP2026 is its emphasis on the quality of construction and building in housing. This is something that the construction industry has been historically criticised for and consistently delivering. SAHP 2026 clearly sets out guidance and expectations. These include:
- Compliance with the latest building regulations
- Meeting the Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), including minimum room sizes and amenity space
- Attention to accessibility, supporting the move toward M4(2) and M4(3) compliant homes
- Encouragement to go beyond the minimum where the site, budget and project scope allow
For house builders, these requirements are an opportunity to improve standards and elevate housing quality. Poor-quality housing has long-term consequences, such as higher maintenance costs, reduced energy performance, and poorer health outcomes for those living there. By embedding these standards early in the design process, developers can reduce redesigns, build more efficient developments, and create homes that genuinely work for occupants.
Here in the North West, we suffer from an ageing housing stock, and our post-industrial landscape creates additional challenges. Having new robust quality standards will help ensure that new developments benchmark for performance and longevity.
Energy efficiency is imperative
It comes as no surprise that rising energy costs have reshaped the priorities of many households across the UK, especially those who are on lower incomes. Social rent tenants are disproportionately affected, often living in older homes with poor insulation or outdated heating systems. SAHP 2026 recognises this and places a strong emphasis on energy performance, carbon reduction and high-quality building fabric.
For house builders, this creates both a moral and practical imperative:
- Maximise fabric-first performance: improved insulation, airtightness and modern windows that keep heat in and reduce bills
- Integrate renewable technologies where suitable: eg heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage
- Design for future-proofing: ensuring homes built today will meet tomorrow’s regulations with minimal retrofitting
Greater Manchester, for example, has set clear goals in its Housing Strategy to increase the supply of energy-efficient, affordable social rent homes, recognising that fuel poverty remains one of the region’s biggest challenges. For contractors like us at Spirit Homes, aligning with these local priorities makes developments more fundable, more sustainable and more attractive to housing associations seeking long-term value.
Under SAHP 2026, energy-efficient homes are central to its purpose. And when delivered well, they reduce arrears risk, improve occupant wellbeing, and strengthen the long-term viability of social housing stock.
Embedding healthy, sustainable and resilient homes
Another important theme running through the SAHP is the idea of the “healthy home”: properties designed to improve wellbeing and reduce environmental impact.
This means that when constructing a build, embedding several principles:
- Use of sustainable materials
Low-carbon materials, recycled products and efficient construction methods, such as timber frameworks, modular components or modern insulation techniques, help reduce embodied carbon and support national climate goals.
- Improving internal living conditions
Ventilation, daylight levels, indoor air quality and acoustic performance all contribute to healthier living environments. These are critical in supported housing or homes for older residents, where well-being outcomes are particularly sensitive.
- Designing for durability and long-term value
Choices made during construction have decades-long implications. High-quality finishes, well-planned layouts and resilient materials reduce future maintenance burdens and offer better lifetime value to both residents and landlords.
For communities In the North West, especially those undergoing regeneration, healthy homes can dramatically improve social outcomes. This can lead to lower health issues linked to damp or cold, reduced loneliness through thoughtful design, and neighbourhoods built for everyday life, not just getting as many people as possible into one area of land.
Social value and community impact
Beyond bricks and mortar, SAHP 2026 places strong importance on social value, recognising the wider role housing plays in strengthening communities. This includes:
- Supported housing: Designing safe, accessible, adaptable homes for the elderly, people with disabilities and vulnerable individuals
- Community-led or co-designed housing: Involving local residents early to make sure new developments meet genuine community needs
- Mixed-tenure schemes: Creating developments where social, affordable and market-rate housing coexist, supporting balanced communities
- Local Jobs and Skills requirements: Ensuring construction projects generate training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities for local people
For Spirit Homes, social value is a responsibility. We work with local suppliers, invest in supporting local business and tradespeople, and prioritise community engagement so that developments support the long-term success of the areas where we build.
SAHP 2026 & a national shift
Ultimately, SAHP 2026 moves away from a system that prioritised housing numbers; instead, the focus is on quality, sustainability, energy performance and community value.
This shift is welcomed by funders, local authorities, housing providers and builders committed to doing things the right way.
For Spirit Homes and our partners across the North West, the new framework aligns with our core belief that every home should be built with care, purpose and longevity in mind.
As we move into the next phase of affordable housing delivery, we have the opportunity to build not just more homes, but better homes that support healthier lives and stronger communities for generations to come.