At the Housing Community Summit in Liverpool in September, one question sat beneath almost every conversation about funding, development and regulation: do we actually have the capacity to deliver the housing ambitions we are setting ourselves?
Homelessness is rising, Housing Revenue Accounts are under sustained pressure and expectations on affordable housing delivery keep growing. At the end of March, 135,580 households in England were living in temporary accommodation, including 177,530 children, up 3.6% and 5.2% respectively on a year earlier. Councils spent £2.84bn on temporary accommodation in 2024-25.
Policy certainty helps, but it will not build those homes on its own. Through my work with senior leaders across housing, property and assets, I am convinced this is a leadership and capacity problem before it is a funding one.
Housing is where national policy meets everyday life. It shapes health, economic opportunity, community stability and trust in public services, and whatever the political priorities of the day, the need for safe, secure and affordable homes does not change.
The Government's long-term commitments are welcome. The £39bn, 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme and a 10-year rent settlement at CPI+1% give the sector certainty it has lacked for years. But funding alone cannot create the skilled workforce, commercial expertise and organisational capacity needed to turn ambition into homes. Set against £39bn for homes, the extra £46m announced in August for the Capacity to Build programme, spread over three years, looks thin.
Rebuilding the capacity to deliver
One uncomfortable theme in Liverpool was the perception among some registered providers that local authorities can obstruct development.
Councils should not dismiss that criticism. Delays, fragmented processes and unclear accountability do slow delivery, and they need to be addressed honestly.
But context matters. Over many years, numerous councils transferred their housing stock to housing associations, and much of their development capability went with it. Commercial skills, development expertise and institutional knowledge were lost or diminished, and the gaps are still visible: in the Local Government Association's 2024-25 workforce survey, 62% of councils reported difficulty recruiting planning officers and 47% chartered surveyors. That capability cannot be rebuilt overnight. Where it does exist, councils deliver. In 2024-25 they delivered more social homes than in any year since current records began in 1991-92.
If central government wants councils to play a greater role in housing delivery, it must invest in the people, leadership and organisational capability that requires. Capacity-building is not an optional extra. It is delivery infrastructure, as fundamental as land or finance.
Neither councils nor registered providers can solve the housing crisis alone. Progress depends on moving beyond frustration towards shared accountability and stronger partnerships.
The human cost behind the numbers
Housing leaders face a difficult balancing act: delivering new homes while maintaining existing stock, meeting regulatory requirements, tackling disrepair, managing financial pressures and responding to homelessness.
Behind every statistic is a human story. Housing insecurity affects health, educational attainment and life chances. A shortage of affordable homes drives homelessness, and temporary accommodation then absorbs money that could otherwise fund prevention and lasting solutions.
The pressure is also being felt within organisations. Years of financial constraint have left many teams in near-permanent recovery mode, doing more with less under intense scrutiny. Innovation gives way to firefighting and expertise becomes harder to retain.
Resilience cannot mean expecting people to absorb unlimited pressure. Leaders need the authority, resources and support to drive change, not simply manage one crisis after another.
Leadership beyond organisational boundaries
A clear message from Liverpool was the need for leaders who can work beyond traditional organisational boundaries.
That means understanding finance, commercial viability and regulation alongside resident experience, partnership working and political accountability. It means challenging what isn't working, building trust across organisations and maintaining momentum when political priorities change.
This is where I see the gap most clearly. Leaders who combine commercial development experience with the political judgement local government demands are in short supply, yet too many recruitment processes still look for someone who has done the same job in a neighbouring authority. Councils will widen their options by valuing transferable experience from registered providers, developers and the wider public sector, and by investing properly in the heads of service who will be their next directors.
Housing is never politically neutral. Decisions about development, allocations, investment and homelessness shape communities and public confidence, and leaders must work within those realities while staying focused on safe, secure and inclusive homes.
The Government's decision in September to withdraw earlier reorganisation decisions in four areas and pause plans in 14 counties adds further uncertainty. Councils must deliver for residents today while preparing for structural change that may or may not come. Strong leadership is what protects capability and stops uncertainty becoming inertia.
A call to action
My biggest takeaway from Liverpool is not that any one part of the housing system deserves criticism or protection. It is that we need greater honesty about what the sector can deliver today and what must change to achieve tomorrow's ambitions.
Government must match its ambition with long-term investment in people as well as homes. Councils must strengthen delivery capability and accountability. Registered providers must deepen collaboration with local partners. And residents must remain at the centre of every decision.
Because behind every debate about funding, planning, regulation or governance is a person, a family or a child waiting for a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. Delivering for them takes more than funding announcements. It takes the people and leadership to turn that money into homes.
Vikhram Singh is a search consultant at Penna, where he leads senior appointments across housing, property and assets in local government
