Affordable housing

The Affordable Housing market has seen huge changes, becoming ever more sophisticated, complex and challenging. For over 40 years, we have advised and supported our clients as the sector has navigated the many economic, regulatory and political challenges and impediments to building encountered during that time.

We are passionate about helping our clients to provide much needed new homes; having a secure and affordable place to live is a fundamental need. The reclassification of housing as vital infrastructure is essential in resolving the deepening housing crisis as it will help in the delivery of homes in the quantity and quality that is required, provide long term funding certainty and unlock other significant benefits recognising housing’s critical role in both social and economic development.

Development and Regeneration are at the heart of what we do. Our specialist Affordable Housing team advise a wide range of clients who own, develop or invest in real estate within the sector. Our clients include Registered Providers both for profits and not for profits, private developers, local authorities and investors, and we have an extensive track record of advising these clients particularly on residential led acquisitions, developments and disposals.

We share with our clients an ambition to build safe, high-quality affordable homes and communities, and this cannot be achieved without us creating and maintaining deep-rooted working relationships, at multiple levels, between our respective organisations. As a result, we have long and established relationships with many of our Registered Provider clients. Our clients describe us as their trusted advisers, very commercially aware and solution driven, focused on them and their customers.

Our expertise is expansive, ranging from package acquisitions, such as section 106 affordable homes and land led opportunities with site assembly and development constraints, to strategic partnerships, including joint venture structures and collaboration agreements. Such development partnerships will usually involve private sector developers and/or public sector bodies such as the Greater London Authority, the Homes and Communities Agency, the London Legacy Development Corporation, Transport for London, and may require funding agreements (including public grant agreements).

Drawing upon legal expertise, we work seamlessly with our specialist teams including Planning, Tax, Construction (both contentious (such as building safety and fire remediation) and non-contentious), Corporate, Finance, Plot Sales and Disputes, together providing a breadth and depth of experience across the entire development lifecycle.

If you would like to hear how we can help you, please get in touch with our specialist Affordable Housing team.