Through their strategic housing role, local authorities are key in providing affordable housing at local level. They are central players in understanding and managing local housing markets – across sectors, regardless of tenure. The Government and partners and communities look to local authorities for local strategic leadership on housing issues. Local councils act not just as planning authorities but as “custodians of local communities”.   

Local authorities provide a vision for communities and within this ‘manage’ – in the widest sense of the word – the entire housing stock in an area, managing neighbourhoods to support wider strategies, planning for housing and communities across all tenures, and ensuring that the specific support needs of individuals are in place.

This strategic housing role is central to the delivery of the Sustainable Communities agenda and to local and regional economic success.

We work with the Local Government Association and others to ensure that our efforts support and complement those of local authorities.