Horsham District Council is set to tackle the pressures on local housing by developing a new housing strategy, Homes for Tomorrow – Shaping the Future Together.
The new strategy will focus on providing the right homes for those who need them, increasing the number of affordable homes, and addressing homelessness in the District.
Like many areas of the country the Council is grappling with a worsening housing situation. There is not enough social housing to meet the needs of locals. Developers are not in a position to build new affordable homes, and house prices and rents in the private sector are becoming increasingly unaffordable for many.
The new Homes for Tomorrow housing strategy will set out how the Council will:
- Prevent and relieve homelessness and rough sleeping
- Enable the delivery of affordable homes
- Allocate homes for those on the Housing Register
- Work with partners to deliver the housing that is needed.
In order to help shape the new strategy the Council is holding an event in July 2025, bringing together specialist partners it will work with in order to develop the strategy.
Attendees will include Saxon Weald, Turning Tides, West Sussex County Council, housing developers representatives from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Homes England, our local Horsham District MPs, and planning officers from Horsham District Council.
Horsham District Council’s Director of Communities Paul Anderson said:
As a council we believe that everyone deserves to live in a home that's safe, secure and of a good standard, and we're committed to making that a reality for all of our residents.
The challenge to provide affordable, secure homes for our residents is a top priority for the Council and sharing expertise, discussing potential solutions and building the new strategy are the key deliverables of our Homes for Tomorrow Strategy Day event. It will kick start the necessary debates and discussions which will inform and influence the future of housing in our District.
The new Homes for Tomorrow strategy is set to be fully adopted at the beginning of 2026. It will include an action plan that will be reviewed annually.