Delivering affordable housing

The council’s Housing Strategy ‘Good Homes in Good Places’ first priority is that there will be more, new housing developed across Salford, especially affordable accommodation to meet local housing needs. This webpage looks at affordable housing delivery in the city and the known pipeline of developments planned for the next year.

Increasing homelessness and need for affordable housing

There are approximately 3,300 households on the city’s housing register assessed as being in housing need and over 800 households residing in temporary accommodation.

In 2025/26 only 668 homes were let through Salford Homesearch, with each property receiving on average 136 bids. This equates to fewer than 2.5% of all social and affordable rented homes become available for relet each year. The number of households.

The Housing Needs Assessment 2025 found that 12,134 of households in Salford are currently in Housing need. This number represents households facing issues such as overcrowding, homelessness, living in unsuitable homes, or being unable to afford private renting.

The assessment concluded that when this number is combined with the additional new need for affordable homes each year, and the level of affordable housing being provided each year on average, Salford has annual shortfall of 467 affordable homes per year. This number assumes that the existing backlog will be cleared over a sustained 10-year delivery period.

Not all households in housing need are on the housing register. The register reflects those actively eligible and bidding, whereas the Housing Needs Assessment captures the wider scale of need across the city.

The scale of affordable housing need is not just a Salford issue and is recognised in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s 2024 Places For Everyone plan which sets out ambitions to support the delivery of 50,000 additional affordable homes across Greater Manchester up until 2039, including 30,000 social or affordable rented homes.

Over the last 5 years an average of 380 new affordable homes have been built in Salford each year, primarily through the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2021-2026. While this number represents a collaborative effort from the council and its partners, it still falls short of meeting demand. The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026-2036 will continue to be the main delivery mechanism, but the council must maximise all opportunities, including through the use of S106 and other initiatives.

Table: Affordable Housing Delivery in Salford past 5 years

How do we help with provision of affordable housing?

The council helps provide affordable homes in a number of ways:

Development and planning

Planning policies require developers to provide affordable homes as part of their developments. Whilst the Local Plan considers that at least 20% of new dwellings on every major development in Salford should be affordable, the number of affordable homes delivered through the planning obligations is small.

Housing Associations and Registered Provider partners

The majority of new affordable homes are built by Housing Associations (Registered Providers) often with support from government grants.

The council work with our partners to provide up to date housing need information to help identify what type of housing is needed in different areas across the city, helping to shape development of new supply.

Together we:

• Identify suitable land, buildings and commercial space for housing provision
• Bring empty homes back into use
• Support bids to Homes England for funding
• Support schemes through planning permission to completion
• Lobby government for more funding for affordable homes

Dérive Salford

In 2017 the council established its own local housing company to increase the number of truly affordable homes being built in the city. The first homes were delivered in 2019 with 513 homes built by April 2026, with a further 700 homes in construction or development. 26 of these have been M4(3) wheelchair accessible homes.

Dérive’s ambition as the council’s local housing company is to provide high quality, energy efficient homes for social rent and affordable tenures that meet strategic need across the city. As part of this commitment, Dérive has built or acquired 455 homes that meet Passivhaus standards — some of the most energy efficient homes in the UK. These homes significantly reduce heat loss, lower energy bills for residents, and support the city’s wider climate goals.

Dérive affordable homes at Tootal Grove completed August 2025

Affordable housing developments 2026/27

Affordable housing in Salford uses the same definition of affordable housing as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Under the Local Plan, Salford Council expects all new Affordable rent homes to be capped at Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates.

This page was last updated on 4 June 2026