An important first step in Bracknell Forest Council becoming a social housing provider has been taken this week.
At a meeting on Tuesday 3 November, the cabinet agreed the council should register with the Regulator of Social Housing.
Cabinet also noted the council had applied to Homes England for £500,000 from the Council Housebuilding Support Fund. This funding, if agreed, will pay for initial work to help the council explore how it can take on a bigger role when it comes to creating and overseeing social housing locally.
The agreement by cabinet puts the council in a position to pursue government grants for affordable homes and look at owning or creating homes itself to help meet local needs. While it is not approval for a housebuilding programme, it opens the possibility for it in future.
Currently, the council works with housing providers and developers to secure affordable homes. However, by becoming a registered provider, the council opens another route to potentially build and manage affordable, or socially rented homes in the borough.
Homes would be allocated as per the Bracknell Forest housing policy, which currently requires a two-year residency in Bracknell Forest before being eligible to join the waiting list. The policy prioritises existing Bracknell Forest residents in housing need which includes, but is not limited to, overcrowded households, care leavers, veterans, and those with a medical need.
In Bracknell Forest, demand for social housing currently outstrips supply. Figures from August 2026 show there were 1,017 households in need of housing, compared with 961 homes expected to become available through existing lettings and new building over the next three years. The demand for housing locally outstrips supply mainly due to the affordability of privately rented homes and the limited number of homes available. Rising costs and the cost of living have also contributed to the issue.
Cllr Georgia Pickering, cabinet member for housing, community safety and communication, said:
“We have made it clear that housing is a top priority and we want more local, affordable homes for local people. This is a significant first step towards the council becoming a social housing provider.
“It doesn’t mean that we will have new houses for local people and families overnight, but it does mean that we are starting the groundwork to see what options and funding is available to us for the future.
“The number of affordable and socially rented homes we have in Bracknell Forest does not match the current demand and so we are taking positive steps to see how the council can control and directly influence how new affordable homes are built, managed and maintained."We will still work with developers and housing associations but in the long-term this could generate more homes for local people to live in at an affordable or social rent.”
Detailed options are expected to be discussed by the cabinet in early 2027. Any proposal to buy, build, own or manage homes would need a separate decision, supported by a full business case.
More information
The council has applied to Homes England Council Housebuilding Support Fund for up to £500,000 over 2 years. If awarded, this would support the expertise and preparatory work needed to explore future housing delivery.
Cabinet also agreed to return £2.86 million, previously allocated to an eight-home affordable housing scheme, to the council’s fund for future affordable housing. This is because the housing provider involved no longer has the capacity to deliver the scheme. The money comes from developer contributions and remains reserved for affordable housing.
You can watch the cabinet discussion and decision on the council’s YouTube channel.
