Reflecting on three years of progress at Homes for the South West
Louise Swain, Chair of Homes for the South West and CEO of Alliance Homes
This month marks the end of my term as Chair of Homes for the South West, a role I have held since April 2023. Over the past three years, I have been proud to lead our work to strengthen the collective voice of housing associations in the South West and to make the case, along with colleagues, for the long‑term reforms needed to deliver more affordable homes across our region.
One of my biggest priorities throughout my tenure has been to identify and tackle the barriers holding back affordable housing delivery in the South West. Our general election manifesto, Building the affordable homes the South West needs, did not just diagnose the problem, it set out six practical recommendations for Government, focused on long‑term infrastructure funding, public land reform, greater planning certainty, making the most of regeneration opportunities, stronger Section 106 enforcement, and addressing regional inequality through the Affordable Homes Programme.
I’m delighted that this partnership‑led blueprint has played a significant role in reshaping the policy conversation around affordable housing in the South West since the general election. It has helped to build a growing network of parliamentary champions from across the political spectrum who understand both the scale of the challenge in our region and the solutions required. A particular highlight was welcoming now‑Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones MP to Curo’s The Willows development in Lawrence Weston, Bristol, to see first‑hand the affordable schemes our members are delivering.
Another memorable highlight was our parliamentary reception in February 2025. Sponsored by Damien Egan MP and attended by Housing Minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, the event brought MPs, Peers and sector leaders together for a forward-looking discussion about how we can accelerate affordable housing delivery in the South West. We also hosted a West of England (WECA) mayoral hustings on housing later that year, underlining the growing importance of regional leadership as mayoral powers expand, and ensuring housing remained central to the debate.
Since the General Election, it has been encouraging to see meaningful progress against several of our long‑standing priorities. We welcomed the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament, alongside its £39 billion long‑term commitment to affordable and social housing at the Comprehensive Spending Review, reflecting calls we made jointly with housing partnerships across England.
At the same time, we have continued to sharpen our focus. Our 2025 Position Statement centred on three core themes: grant providing certainty, rent creating capacity, and public land unlocking opportunity. Last autumn’s Cabinet Office guidance introducing greater flexibility in the disposal of surplus public land was a particularly welcome step. It recognised a key ask of Homes for the South West: that public land should be treated as a strategic national asset for affordable housing, not simply a balance‑sheet item to be sold to the highest bidder. As I hand over to my successors, we will continue to make the case for our region to lead the way, acting as a proving ground for large‑scale affordable housing delivery on public land.
Looking to the future, I see three key challenges for the sector. Firstly, we must make the most of the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme so funding reflects South West delivery costs. Secondly, we must ensure the region’s voice is heard as devolution accelerates across the country. Lastly, we must remain steadfast in continuing to demonstrate delivery that is felt by residents and recognised by Government.
Over the past five years, our members have delivered more than 21,000 homes, and our latest pipeline data points to an uplift ahead. I look forward to supporting the next Chairs of Homes for the South West and continuing to work with partners to deliver affordable, sustainable, high‑quality homes.
