NatWest has announced a new package of £10billion of funding to the UK social housing sector before the end of 2028, which, when deployed, will bring the total funding for social housing in the UK to over £35 billion since 2018.
Through this new ambition, the bank is aiming to support the delivery and maintenance of social housing in the UK. NatWest has worked with not-for-profit housing associations across the UK to support their growth and development plans, building homes and communities for many years.
NatWest says that recent government commitments will help unlock development and speed up delivery, and, in response, is committing billions in funding to housing associations to help enable the development of high-quality homes across the UK and support economic growth.
The bank also confirmed it has now provided more than £25billion of funding into the social housing sector since 2018, helping to create and sustain affordable homes nationwide.
NatWest aims to support the delivery and upkeep of social housing across the UK, helping housing associations build new homes, upgrade existing properties and improve living conditions. Some of this lending can help fund energy efficiency and environmental improvements, including retrofit projects. Other funding can help the housing associations sector to deliver a pipeline of new homes and improve living conditions in existing properties.
Paul Thwaite, CEO of NatWest Group, commented: “We are incredibly proud to announce the early achievement of our £7.5billion UK social housing lending ambition. Delivering this milestone a full year ahead of schedule demonstrates our commitment to making a real difference in people’s lives by investing in the homes and communities that need it most, and shows the demand in the market.”
“Reaching this lending ambition early has enabled us to set a new target of £10billion to year-end 2028, so we can continue to provide social housing lending and play our part in supporting the development and availability of affordable and social rent homes across the UK.”
Chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “This government is backing a step change in affordable housing to end the housing crisis, with £39billion for a new social and affordable homes programme and 10 year rent certainty for the sector.”
“NatWest’s investment will be vital in helping housing associations deliver thousands of affordable homes for families priced out of home ownership, building an economy that works for and rewards working people.”
Recent research from Shelter revealed that 382,618 people are homeless in England, including 175,025 children, with the number of people officially recorded as homeless rising by 8% in one year. According to Shelter, the shortage of social homes, unaffordable private rents and the freeze on housing benefit are pushing more people into homelessness and trapping them there.
With limited pathways into secure, affordable homes, many people risk becoming stuck in temporary accommodation intended for short-term use, for months or even years. Over 90% of the people recorded as homeless, including 84,240 families, are in temporary accommodation.
In addition to these commitments, last year NatWest announced several other initiatives and partnerships that have complemented and contributed to our social housing lending ambition being achieved. These include a financial guarantee of up to £400million from the National Wealth Fund to cover a series of new loans from NatWest to registered providers of social housing stock in the UK.
The bank also launched a new social rent loan product to support housing associations, which are already NatWest customers, to support the construction of social rent houses across the UK. In December 2025, this fund was doubled to £1billion in response to strong demand and to help continue the delivery of homes for social rent across the country.
In November 2025, housing association, VIVID, secured £100million in funding from NatWest as part of the bank’s social loan fund, designed to support the delivery of homes for social rent across the country. VIVID was the first to draw down funds from this, which will go towards building an additional 450 new social rent homes for more customers.
David Ball, chief financial officer at VIVID, said: “NatWest’s new social rent loan product gives housing associations the financial flexibility to build more homes at social rent levels. The overall rate discount being offered is an innovative step change that shows NatWest’s commitment to supporting the government’s Social Rent led agenda.”
