Affordable homes on council land, with no capital and no development risk
Civic Place gives councils a way to turn underused land into affordable and social rent homes without borrowing, spending capital or carrying development risk. The council keeps the freehold, nominates the tenants and receives a cash share of the surplus.
What the council gets
Homes, nominations, the freehold and a cash return, at no cost to the council
- The council receives new affordable and social rent homes on its own land, 100% of first lets and 75% thereafter from its housing register, the freehold retained throughout, and 20% of the scheme surplus paid in cash through an overage agreement.
- In return it pays nothing. All planning, design, survey, construction and finance costs are met by Civic Place and its partners. Cost overruns and programme delays sit with us, and no council capital, borrowing or guarantees are required.
Why it matters now
Every permanent home reduces pressure on temporary accommodation
Councils in England spent £2.93bn on temporary accommodation in 2025/26 (MHCLG, 2026), and 135,580 households were living in it in March 2026 (MHCLG, 2026).
Every household housed through council nominations into a permanent affordable home is one fewer relying on costly nightly paid accommodation.
Where it works best
Sites where a sale would bring in little
The model works best where the council holds land with modest disposal value. Keeping the freehold costs the council almost nothing, and homes on the site deliver far more value than a one-off receipt. Typical sites include surplus depots, car parks, garage blocks and infill plots.
