The National House Building Council reaction on Budget 2026

We welcome the inclusion of several measures announced in today’s Budget.

The introduction of the Your First Home equity loan scheme is a positive step towards helping more people onto the housing ladder. Supporting first-time buyers is essential to stimulating demand and giving house builders the confidence to invest in new developments.

We also welcome the commitment to avoid major changes to building regulations during this Parliament. Greater regulatory stability will give house builders much-needed certainty, allowing them to plan ahead, invest with confidence and focus on delivering high-quality homes.

News that government has added £1.5bn to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) in the Budget is great news for the sector, given how oversubscribed the first round of bidding was earlier in the year. The wider industry is stretched, with demand for affordable housing at record levels and NHBC’s Q3 registration figures showing the pipeline of new homes continues to shrink. With new home registrations down 13% year on year, this kind of intervention is essential.

The removal of biodiversity net gain requirements for brownfield sites is another welcome measure today that could help unlock development on land that has previously been difficult to bring forward, supporting regeneration and the delivery of much-needed new homes.

However, while these measures are encouraging, there is still a significant challenge ahead. Delivering more quality homes requires not only the right policy environment but also a skilled workforce capable of building them to the highest standards. We must skill up if we want to build up. Continued investment in construction skills and apprenticeships will be critical if we are to increase housing supply without compromising quality.

NHBC stands ready to work with government and the wider industry to turn these commitments into practical progress and support the delivery of more high-quality homes across the UK.

Paul Turner, Chief Executive Officer, National House Building Council.