The Government is calling on homebuilders to contribute evidence of working with Homes England as part of the review process to see if it is “shipping to the taxpayer”.

Industry participants including private sector homebuilders, housing associations, local authorities, charities and financial institutions were among those asked to provide evidence as part of a “routine review” of Homes England.

Members of the community who have been involved in home ownership and overlay remediation plans can also contribute evidence.

This call for evidence will last eight weeks and will run from July 21, 2023 to September 15, 2023. Survey questions can be filled out online.

Homes England, the non-departmentally funded public body for new affordable housing in the UK, was among 40 agencies selected for a “periodic review” as part of the survey. Public Agency Assessment Program.

The review is designed to assess “whether Homes England’s current powers, legal form and distribution model are appropriate for the functions it is expected to perform.”

Tony Poulter, who is not the chief executive officer of the Department of Transportation, was asked to lead the review. He said in a statement last month that he “hopes to […] makes recommendations that will help the Department for Upgrades, Families and Communities (DLUHC) and Homes England achieve their goals as efficiently as possible.”

Asking for evidence is the first step in an ongoing consultation process with various stakeholders.

Homes England was last fully reviewed in 2016 when it was called the Family and Community Authority.

>>See also: Homes England under review by the government

Three separate internal reviews were held in 2020, each of which suggested improvements in the way DLUHC and Homes England work together, as well as in governance structure, accountability and purpose.

The current assessment comes shortly after Homes England finally announced a long-awaited strategic plan, which it says will help it reframe itself around renewables, rather than just providing pure housing.

A Homes England spokesperson said: “This is part of a cabinet office-led standards review process that all Arms Control Authorities are required to follow and that typically happens every three years. Homes England’s last review was over six years ago and so we look forward to working with the lead reviewer and their team.”

Homes England has a portfolio of over 9,000 hectares of land and around £16 billion in combined capital expenditures (loans, grants, equity and guarantees) to roll out in 2027/28.

When it comes to the Help to Buy programme, it is the sixth largest mortgage lender in the UK. It has a range of statutory rights, including mandatory purchases, that it can use to accomplish its goals.