By Sarah Macklin 
Manchester is celebrating a landmark year for its ambitious housing plans, with the city hitting record levels of affordable home delivery in 2025.
A report presented to the City Council this week (w/c 12th January 2026) shows that the targets set out in the Housing Strategy, launched in 2022, are already seeing tangible results.
The strategy aims to increase the number of quality homes across Manchester, ensuring the city can meet demand as its population grows, while creating sustainable, attractive communities. By 2032, the Council is aiming to deliver at least 10,000 social, council, and genuinely affordable homes.
How many affordable homes were completed in Manchester in 2025?
Last year saw the largest number of affordable homes completed in more than 15 years.
In 2025 alone, 2,993 new homes were delivered across the city, meaning nearly a third (31%) of the overall 36,000 new homes target has already been achieved.
Of these, 791 homes were of an affordable tenure, with 59% capped at social rent, a significant increase from just 30.6% at the start of the strategy period. Looking ahead, the Council expects the 2025/26 financial year to be the largest for new home delivery since the mid-1990s.
Councillor Gavin White, Executive Member for Housing and Development, said:
“Our housing strategy was designed to be ambitious and to drive significant housing delivery across the city, including thousands of social rent, Council and genuinely affordable homes to help meet demand as Manchester’s population continues to grow.
“Four years in and we are already seeing positive progress against our targets and we know that our strong pipeline of major projects will continue to grow in the coming years. Our progress so far is a testament to the strong work partnerships we have in Manchester and the registered providers that are committed to delivering the homes our residents need.”
Strong pipeline and partnerships
The city currently has 1,459 affordable homes on site, including 814 social rent homes, with a further 2,704 either with planning permission or in the application process. A £39bn national Social & Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) launched in 2025 is expected to deliver homes with 60% social rent, further supporting Manchester’s ambitions.
Partnerships are key: 86% of affordable housing delivered so far has been in collaboration with Registered Providers, Homes England funding, and Council-owned land. In 2025 alone, 230 affordable homes were built on Council land, and more than 880 are set to start or enter consultation in 2026.
What is Project 500?
Project 500, an innovative approach targeting smaller Council-owned brownfield sites, will deliver 517 affordable homes across 35 sites in 13 wards. Around 75% will be social rent, with the remainder split between Manchester Living Rent and affordable home ownership. Phase one has already completed 51 homes, with the rest on site or approved, while phase two has begun the planning process.
The project has also brought social value to communities, creating 98 apprenticeships and jobs, 130 volunteering hours, and nearly £12,000 in donations to local groups.
Making the most of existing homes
Manchester is also focusing on using its existing housing stock effectively. The Council’s rightsizing programme supported 108 households in 2025 to move into homes that better fit their needs, freeing up larger properties for families. Accessible homes have also been provided, with 150 households rehoused into wheelchair-adapted properties over the past two years.
Plans are also underway for a new empty homes strategy and a programme to combat tenancy fraud, both aiming to bring more homes into active use.
Councillor White added:
“Building homes at scale – particularly social rent housing – remains a major challenge for cities across the UK, but we have created a really strong base of projects that will help accelerate new home building in the coming years.”
With a record year behind it and an ambitious pipeline ahead, Manchester appears well on track to deliver on its housing strategy, combining large-scale new builds with innovative approaches to existing stock and community-focused development.
