We find and buy suitable private properties which we then let as affordable council homes to people on our housing register. We do this in two ways:
- our leaseholder buyback scheme for people living in ex-council homes
- buying on the open market
Council homes bought through our acquisitions programme are let at social rent, which is typically around 40% of the rent a private landlord would charge for the same home.
How do we choose which homes to buy?
We assess potential purchases against the demand for that type of home - for example, the number of bedrooms - and whether it needs work to bring it up to suitable standards to let as a council home.
For the leaseholder buyback scheme, we're particularly interested in flats that were once council homes. Leaseholders selling their homes back to us save money on estate agent fees, won’t be stuck in a chain and enjoy the benefit of a quick cash purchase.
How many homes do we buy?
The number of homes we buy has been growing in recent years. In 2024/25, we expect to provide 33 new council homes through our acquisitions programme.
The number of homes bought in recent years is as follows:
- 2017/18 - 10
- 2018/19 - 4
- 2019/20 - 1
- 2020/21 - 25
- 2021/22 - 24
- 2022/23 - 8
- 2023/24 - 24
- Total - 96
How do we pay for this?
There are three grant funding options which currently support our acquisitions programme:
- Retained Right to Buy receipts
- Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF)
- Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP)
Earlier funding streams like the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme and Next Steps Accommodation Programme were used to buy homes in previous years. These have now closed.
Retained Right to Buy receipts
A rolling programme using funds we’re allowed to keep from the sale of council homes usually allows us to provide around 12 new homes each year.
We target a range of properties including 1-bed homes for single people and couples and larger homes for families on our housing register.
LAHF
The LAHF is a capital fund supporting English councils to provide homes for people on resetllement schemes, with 2 rounds of funding to date.
The first round of LAHF funding meant we were able to provide homes for 7 families arriving in the UK through Ukrainian and Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes.
The second round of LAHF focused on supporting people on Afghan resettlement schemes, temporary accommodation to relieve pressure on bridging accommodation and easing wider homelessness pressures. This will provide 5 homes by the end of the scheme.
We've approved a third round of LAHF funding. This will provide 2 homes for temporary accommodation and 3 family homes for households on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Homes bought with LAHF funding will be let to people on the housing register once the initial tenancies end.
SHAP
The SHAP is grant funding from Homes England providing homes and support for people experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping.
In Oxford, SHAP funding provides Housing First homes for single people who are likely to have a history of rough sleeping and with high support needs.
Traditionally, people experiencing rough sleeping in the UK have tended to move from the streets to independent living in stages. This approach assumes people need to engage with support services before they are ready to move on to the next stage.
As the name suggests, Housing First says people should be offered permanent housing at once and without preconditions like engaging with treatment services. Wraparound support is then provided to help them maintain their tenancies.
SHAP funding has delivered 12 homes in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
