<p><span>The government will only meet its 300,000 homes a year target if it increases funding for affordable housing, according to a report produced by Savills for the National Housing Federation, housing association group G15 and Homes for the North. </span></p> <p><span>The report claims that a slowing private market, the changing Help to Buy initiative and a potential downturn triggered by Brexit “will deepen the housing shortfall”. Directly funding housing associations will be crucial to closing the gap and delivering more affordable homes, the organisations say.</span></p> <p><span>They also state that increased </span><span>government </span><span>funding </span><span>for affordable housing</span><span> “will add to, and not displace, existing investment from the private sector”.</span></p> <p><span>While Savills analysis shows that completions are set to reach 260,000 </span><span>new </span><span>homes per year by 2021, the authors of the report state that with a challenging market, housebuilding in England may need to increase by up to a third between 2021 and 2025 to compensate for the end of the current Help to Buy scheme “and hit 300,000 homes a year”.</span></p> <p><span>The report also calls for more joint ventures between the private sector, councils and housing associations, as well as increased use of long-term funding models, for example the strategic partnerships offered …