Housing associations have become eligible for a two-month head start over private sector competitors when bidding for public land.
This is an “unexpected but welcome” side effect of the reclassification of associations as public bodies last year means they have a new special standing, enabling them to bid for developable public land.
The Cabinet Office confirmed housing associations are now able to use a 40-working-day window before land disposed of by government departments is advertised on the open market.
The government has committed to release enough public land to build 160,000 new homes between 2015 and 2020.