England remains far from meeting its target of 1.5 million new homes this Parliament, with only around 225,000 homes gaining full planning consent in the year to March 2025—well below the 367,000 annual homes needed. The private sector, which has delivered housing at a relatively stable rate for over 50 years, cannot meet this demand alone, especially amid ongoing market volatility.

The decline of local authority housebuilding since the 1980s has left a critical gap in supply. With councils facing financial and capacity constraints, traditional models are no longer viable. Instead, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are emerging as a strategic solution, combining the strengths of both sectors.

In this report we delve into how public-private partnerships (PPPs) are an opportunity to increase housebuilding, who the key public sector players are, the role of land and what evolution we can look forward to in the future.