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UK: Discounted homes for first-time buyers could unlock thousands of stalled housing sites, according to a new report from Shared Voice.
Drawing on senior figures from across the property, planning, and development sectors, alongside original public opinion research, the report highlights that targeted affordable housing offers can help get schemes moving. Discounted homes for first-time buyers emerge as the most popular tenure with the public.
At a time when thousands of homes are stalled due to viability challenges and a lack of housing association partners, the report argues that discounted market sale homes offer a practical and scalable solution to unblock delivery while building a stronger public mandate for development.
Unlike traditional affordable housing models, discounted homes do not require housing association involvement and can be delivered more flexibly, addressing one of the key blockers currently stalling schemes.
While traditional public engagement often amplifies opposition, more representative research shows that support for development is far higher, particularly when schemes clearly help local people access home ownership.
Discounted homes sold at a minimum 20 per cent discount to market value and retained in perpetuity are especially well-supported by the public. Of the schemes Shared Voice supports, more than 80 per cent receive approval.
Despite public support, the report finds that discounted homes are often treated as a fallback rather than a core part of development strategies.
- The report calls for a shift in approach, including:
- Greater policy clarity and national guidance
- Reduced administrative burden on local authorities
- Better alignment of viability and funding mechanisms
- Increased public awareness of the model
The report argues that demonstrating how schemes will help local first-time buyers can help developers secure stronger community backing and improve their chances of planning approval.
“For too long, the planning system has heard most loudly from those who oppose development, not the silent majority who recognise the need for new homes,” Wyn Evans, co-founding director at Shared Voice. “Our research shows that when people see a clear link between development and helping local people onto the housing ladder, support increases significantly. “Discounted homes are simple, tangible and directly address the affordability crisis. That’s why they resonate so strongly. They could form a significant part of the affordability mix of greybelt sites and New Towns and could stimulate local public support for those types of applications.
“Discount market sale homes provide a much-needed response to the acute affordability pressures facing the country, offering a more accessible route into home ownership for many households typically priced out of their local area,” said Annie Gingell, associate director at Turley. “By allowing developers to deliver homes directly, without reliance on a Registered Provider, this tenure can help unlock sites that might otherwise stall. Without more sites coming forward at pace, and at a price people can afford, the housing crisis will only deepen.”
Highlights:
• Discounted homes could unlock stalled UK housing sites: A report by Shared Voice finds that discounted market sale homes for first-time buyers can help restart developments delayed by viability issues and lack of housing association partners
• Popular tenure with strong public backing: Homes sold at ≥20 per cent below market value and retained in perpetuity are the most supported affordable housing model, with over 80 per cent of schemes gaining approval when clearly linked to local benefits
• Flexible alternative to traditional affordable housing: Unlike conventional models, discounted homes do not require registered providers, enabling faster, more scalable delivery and removing key development bottlenecks
• Improved planning outcomes through local benefit messaging: Demonstrating how schemes help local first-time buyers access homeownership can increase community support and planning approval success rates.
Policy reform needed to scale delivery: The report calls for clearer national guidance, streamlined local processes, better funding alignment, and greater awareness to position discounted homes as a core housing strategy, not a fallback option
