New Affordable Housing

Dover District Council is committed to delivering an ambitious programme of new Council housing which will see the highest number of new Council homes built in a generation. The Council also wants to support those who would like to own their own home but cannot afford to buy outright by facilitating an increased programme of affordable home ownership schemes.

The provision of new affordable housing is a key element of the Government’s plan to end the housing crisis, tackle homelessness and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder.

The Council would like to make sure that all new affordable housing is built to meet the needs of residents in the District. We also support Registered Providers (also known as Housing Associations) to build affordable housing.

Over the coming years, the Council plans to increase the number of new affordable homes we provide in the District ourselves. One of the aims of the Council's Corporate Plan 2023 - 2027 is to provide at least an average of 200 additional council homes (new builds and acquisitions) each year (800 in total over the term of the plan).

Opportunities for local businesses may arise during the development of affordable housing. For details of how to do business with Dover District Council, please click here: Doing Business with DDC (dover.gov.uk)

What is Affordable Housing?

Affordable housing includes social and affordable rented homes, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. There are two main types of affordable housing, affordable rental properties and affordable home ownership. An affordable property can be a new-build property or a private sector property that has been purchased for use as an affordable home, and can range from flats, houses and bungalows.

Affordable homeownership includes properties through the Shared Ownership and First Homes schemes, both support first-time buyers into home ownership. More can be found out about these schemes by visiting our webpages below. 

The planning process asks developers to included affordable housing as part of their new developments. Recently we have started to build new affordable housing ourselves, with a range of new Council Housing.  

Community-led housing as well as self and custom house building is also a key aspect of providing new affordable housing in the district. The Council is here to support groups and individuals navigate their way through the funding, planning and development processes to provide affordable housing for themselves and their communities.

District Housing Needs Survey 2023

The Council undertook a district wide housing needs survey to improve our understanding of housing needs of district reseidents. The results from this survey have now be published.