The announcement of greater mayoral influence over the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme signals more than just a funding decision. It marks a significant shift in how housing priorities will be shaped and delivered, and it brings a level of regional leadership that many in the sector have been calling for.
Giving Mayors the ability to shape spending and priorities recognises that housing challenges vary between regions. What is required in Greater Manchester will not be exactly the same as in the North East or West Yorkshire. Local leadership that understands local need is a positive step, and one that could help accelerate delivery in areas where the pressure on waiting lists and temporary accommodation has reached critical levels.
If implemented well, this approach could support faster, more targeted development that reflects the needs of communities rather than broad national assumptions.
Housing growth depends on workforce capacity
But alongside investment in homes, we must also look at the people responsible for delivering, managing and sustaining them. The housing crisis is not solely about supply and land availability. It is also about the skills, confidence and capacity of the workforce that sits across planning, development, customer support, community safety and tenancy sustainment.
Across the organisations we support, we see teams working incredibly hard under increasing pressure. Caseloads are complex, recruitment can be challenging, and experienced practitioners are often drawn into urgent casework. In these circumstances, structured development is one of the first things that becomes difficult to prioritise, even though the need for it is clear.
If we are serious about new social housing, then investment in the workforce cannot sit to one side. It includes:
- Construction and trades professionals
- Site supervisors, project leads and compliance roles
- Estates, asset and retrofit specialists
- Team leaders and housing managers
- Housing officers and customer-facing teams
- Community and tenancy sustainment practitioners
- ASB and case management specialists
- Domestic abuse and safeguarding leads
These roles are essential to how residents experience housing, not just how homes are built.
Beyond compliance... Towards long-term capability.
Short, mandatory or compliance-focused training can help with immediate requirements, particularly when time is limited. However, it rarely supports the deeper skills needed to respond confidently to residents experiencing vulnerability, complexity or instability.
Developing capability is not simply about completing a course. It is about building judgement, communication, resilience and professional clarity over time.
This is where apprenticeships and professional qualifications play an important role. When designed around real job roles, they provide structured development that fits alongside day-to-day work, giving staff the time, support and recognition to develop confidence in practice. They also create clearer progression routes, which helps with both retention and recruitment.
Long-term professional development should be seen as a core part of housing infrastructure. It improves outcomes, strengthens tenancy sustainment and reduces avoidable conflict. Most importantly, it supports the people doing the work to feel equipped and valued in their roles.
Funding the homes must include funding the workforce
If public funding is protected for new build programmes, there is a strong case for applying the same strategic commitment to workforce development. Homes and the capability to support those who live in them are closely connected. When only one side is invested in, pressure builds quickly elsewhere.
More homes will help reduce waiting lists and reliance on temporary accommodation. But without skilled teams to support and sustain tenancies, the wider social outcomes become harder to achieve.
Homes are part of the solution. Skilled teams are the rest.
Housing is about more than buildings. It is about safety, stability and the foundations for a life. Skilled professionals are central to delivering that. As regional authorities shape their plans, there is a significant opportunity to embed workforce development at the same strategic level as construction and capital planning.
Doing so would support not only delivery, but long-term outcomes and community wellbeing.
Working together to build capability that lasts
At Kingdom Academy, we work alongside local authorities, housing providers and regional partnerships to build capability across both the construction and housing workforce through role-specific, practical learning pathways that strengthen confidence and professional identity.
What we see consistently is that when development of skills and professional identity is built in early, teams feel more confident, services are more stable, and residents benefit from more consistent support.
If you are considering how workforce development will feature in your plans, programmes or bids, we would welcome a conversation about what that could look like in practice. The aim is not to add complexity, but to help ensure that the people delivering and sustaining homes are equipped, supported and recognised in the work they do.