Unlike previous interventions...
like the mortgage interest tax reliefs of the 1960s to 1990s which came at a significant cost to the Exchequer and provided no supply-side boost
...Help to Buy saw housing supply levels double over the period it was in place.
In total, Help to Buy is likely to generate a positive return of more than £2bn.
In addition, the scheme
👉supported £86 billion in economic activity
👉generated over £10 billion in tax receipts
👉and sustained more than 130,000 jobs each year at its peak
181,437 households who used the Help to Buy scheme had fully paid their equity loan by March 2025.
Help to Buy has so far generated a net return on investment of £1.02 billion for the Exchequer...
.. That's a +10.3% uplift on original loan values, in addition to £358 million in interest payments.
The Prime Minister has set an ambition to increase homeownership rates to 70%. Yet, recent ONS data shows, the average home in London is unaffordable for even the top 10% of earners. In fact, only in the North East was the average home affordable to median earners.
Help to Buy primarily supported those on middle incomes, with 73% of the first-time buyers benefitting from the scheme having had a household income below £60,000.... (worth noting, households earning £80,000 to £90,000 in London can qualify for publicly-subsidised Shared Ownership housing).
A critical but often overlooked fact about Help to Buy is the scale of impact it had on increasing access to home ownership for real people
The equity loan scheme supported 387,195 households into homeownership... including 328,346 first-time buyers.
Yesterday, our Executive Director, Steve Turner, gave evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.
He said that the industry’s ability to deliver new homes is increasingly being constrained by viability pressures, and called for a moratorium on new taxes impacting the sector
Looking ahead, about a third of construction businesses plan to integrate AI for training purposes in the coming months, and only 6% expect it to reduce headcount in the future - compared to an average of 11% across all sectors.
View more insights in our report
buff.ly/NMX40XP
7% of businesses in other industries report that AI has reduced their headcount, the impact on construction companies is around 0%. Instead, the majority of construction firms using AI are focusing on training their existing workforce, highlighting the industry’s commitment to skill development.
Graph showing proportion of construction businesses using ai compared to other businesses, showing significantly less usage in construction
Data from the Office for National Statistics’ Business Insights and Conditions Survey shows that less than 20% of construction businesses are currently using AI…
Compared with almost 40% across all industries.
We asked early talent how much impact they felt AI would have on careers in home building.
Here’s what they told us 👇
🔶 80% said AI will change how people work in home building over the next 10 years
🔶 70% said protection from rising automation was a motivation for joining the industry
In just one month, the Welsh public will head to the polls to choose their next Government.
With private housing delivery in Wales approaching an all-time low, urgent action is needed to create a policy environment that supports home building.
Read the full blueprint 👉 buff.ly/0HLcemz
Without a strong market to sell in to, home builders’ ability to bring forward new development is constrained.
HBF continues to call on Government to introduce a new equity loan scheme, supported by contributions from home builders, to help households access homeownership.
Over 70% of SME home builders say market conditions are limiting their appetite to invest in new sites.
Market pressures are particularly acute for SME developers, who are less able to absorb market volatility and tackle rising costs.
2 years after Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), our new report shows major impacts on housing delivery:
🔹 84% of builders face challenges with SMEs most impacted
🔹 80% report BNG delays due to local authority staffing & resources
🔹 60% say sites are becoming unviable
Full report 👉https://buff.ly/7Ruals8
Did you attend last year’s HBF Midlands Dinner?
We’re pleased to announce it’s back in Birmingham on 14 May, and this year we’re at a fantastic new venue... The Eastside Rooms.
Open to all of industry - save the date and secure your tickets today.
buff.ly/QWKCEA0
The planning process continues to present a major obstacle to delivery.
More than three quarters of respondents to our latest SME sentiment survey identified planning delays as one of their top three supply-side barriers to building more homes.
There are diverse range of career pathways and entry routes available in the home building industry.
Government support will be crucial to fully close the skills gap and meet housing ambitions.
A career in home building is full of potential and the opportunity to progress.
The #homebuilding industry is a major source of training and employment, supporting around 750,000 jobs last year – including around 9,000 trainees and apprentices – across a broad range of roles.
Home building offers job security–& the next generation is noticing
🔶90% of early talent said job security was an important factor in joining the industry
🔶67% agree that jobs in home building are less likely to be replaced by AI than in many other industries
Download the report
buff.ly/NMX40XP
Tickets for HBF Wales Conference and Dinner 2026 are available now🎫
📍 Leonardo Hotel, Cardiff
📅 9 July 2026
Make sure your organisation is in the room
👉 buff.ly/x4GtS5j
Last chance to save: Early booking for the HBF AGM and Annual Lunch ends tomorrow 📢
Exclusive to HBF members, secure your individual ticket - or book a table today
👉 buff.ly/9gZ3ZZ0
buff.ly/UpBvRW6
This time last month, we were bringing together emerging talent and industry leaders at the HBF Future Talent Conference for a day of insight, discussion and networking.
It was inspiring to see energy and ambition from the apprentices, graduates, and trainees shaping the future of home building.
A summary of quotes from our SME sentiment survey 👇
“Water, drainage and power connections are now serious constraints for industry.”
Chris Doré, Business Development Director at TriConnex and eSmartNetworks1
“The market lacks a new build buyer support scheme at scale, which is needed to unlock demand.”
Lucian Cook and Emily Williams from Savills take to the stage at the 2026 HBF Policy Conference to discuss market and the issues related to the demand side of home building.
“There is a disconnect between planning reforms the government is putting in place and delivery on the ground.”
📢 Planning for 1.5 million homes panel at the 2026 HBF Policy Conference.
#HBFPolicy26
Ian McDermott, Chief Executive at Peabody communicates how private home builders can effectively work together with social housing providers to deliver the affordable homes the country needs.
“It’s not acceptable that opportunities that were open to my generation when we were younger are closed off to young people today.”
💬 Housing Secretary Steve Reed at the 2026 HBF Policy Conference.
#HBFPolicy26
“Together. Optimism. Realism.”
Amy Rees, Chief Executive at Homes England encourages collaboration between home builders and Homes England.
#HBFPolicy26
