Social housing v affordable housing
According to the UK government’s Definitions of general housing terms:
Affordable housing is social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. Eligibility is determined by local incomes and local house prices. Affordable housing should include provisions to remain at an affordable price for future eligible households or for the subsidy to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision.
Affordable rented housing is let by local authorities or private registered providers of social housing to households that are eligible for social rented housing. Affordable rent is no more than 80 per cent of the local market rent (including service charges, where applicable).
Homes that do not meet this definition of affordable housing, such as ‘low cost market’ housing, are not considered affordable housing for planning purposes.
Social rented housing is owned by local authorities and private registered providers, for which guideline target rents are determined through the national rent regime. It may also be owned by other persons and provided under equivalent rental arrangements agreed with the local authority or Homes England.
Intermediate housing refers to homes for sale and rent, provided at a cost above social rent but below market levels subject to the affordable housing definition. These can include shared equity (shared ownership and equity loans), other low cost homes for sale and intermediate rent, but not affordable rented housing.
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