Capacity to Build
The government's Capacity to Build programme supports councils to increase their current levels of housebuilding.
Applies to England
Capacity to Build (2026 to 2029)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is investing a further £46 million over 3 years to expand its skills and capacity offer to councils in a re-branded programme – Capacity to Build. Following the success of the £17 million invested in skills and capacity since 2025, Capacity to Build will continue to help councils develop ambitious pipelines, overcome barriers to delivery and strengthen specialist housing capacity.
Capacity to Build is delivered in partnership with Homes England and the Local Government Association (LGA) and will run between April 2026 and March 2029, helping councils to:
- improve their workforce‘s capability to deliver social and affordable housing
- recruit and retain staff to specialist housebuilding positions
- develop and accelerate bids for grant funding through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP)
Capacity to Build can support councils of all abilities, including those who may not have built any new social and affordable housing for some time. The programme has 3 complementary elements:
- the Council Housebuilding Support Service
- the Council Housebuilding Support Fund
- the Pathways to Planning graduate scheme
The Council Housebuilding Support Service
The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) is delivered by the LGA and aims to provide up to 225 tailored support packages between April 2026 and March 2029. Councils may receive more than one package of support where different or additional needs are identified.
Following an assessment of each council’s housing delivery capability and support needs, CHoSS provides bespoke no-cost support to help councils establish, strengthen, or accelerate their council housebuilding programmes. Support may include technical and specialist advice, training, workshops, tools, published guidance, and peer learning.
Further information about CHoSS, including how councils can register their interest or request a conversation with a Senior Regional Adviser, is available on the CHoSS page of the LGA’s website.
For clarity, councils receiving support through CHoSS can also access the Council Housebuilding Support Fund, but only to address a separate issue or challenge.
An expansion of the Pathways to Planning programme
Capacity to Build includes an expanded Pathways to Planning offer. Already delivered by the LGA to bring in talent to planning teams, this expanded programme allows councils to recruit and retain recent graduates to other specialist housebuilding positions, including surveying and construction project management roles.
Graduates are supported through structured training and accreditation routes, helping councils to build a sustainable pipeline of skilled staff for housing delivery.
These 2 new pathways aim to recruit up to 150 graduates during 2026 to 2029. Onboarding will commence from early 2027.
Further information about the expanded Pathways to Planning programme is available on the Pathways to Planning page of the LGA’s website.
The Council Housebuilding Support Fund
The Council Housebuilding Support Fund (CHSF) is delivered in partnership with Homes England and provides councils with targeted revenue funding to support early stage housing development activity.
In 2025 to 2026, CHSF provided grant funding to 44 councils, helping to develop and accelerate bids to the SAHP leading to approximately 11,500 homes.
Over the next 3 years, CHSF will continue to help councils to fund pre development work, including:
- feasibility and viability studies
- site investigations and technical due diligence
- pipeline development and preparation
All grant funding awarded through CHSF is for the express purpose of helping councils to bring forward large and ambitious bids to SAHP.
Further information about CHSF, including eligibility and eligible activity, is available on the CHSF page on GOV.UK.
Details of how councils can apply for funding through the 2026 to 2027 bidding round will be published in September 2026.
Updates to this page
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Updated to reflect that the Council Housebuilding Skills and Capacity Programme is now called Capacity to Build. The update also reflects the expansion of the programme for 2026 to 2029, including new information on programme funding, support available to councils and delivery arrangements.
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First published.