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A pair of modern semi-detached Be One Homes properties featuring red brick exteriors with dark grey pitched roofs and black front doors. Each home has large windows, a small front garden area with newly planted greenery, and a driveway with parked cars. The houses sit along a clean, newly paved residential street with a bright blue sky and scattered clouds above, and green trees visible in the background.

New loan funding supports investment in existing homes and new housing 

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What this means in brief:

  • We’ve secured a £75m long-term loan to support planned investment in existing homes and new housing. 
  • The funding is a loan that will be repaid over time, not new grant funding.
  • It has a fixed rate and a 13‑year term, providing stability and certainty over future costs. 
  • The loan supports what’s already in our long-term business plan, not a change in direction.
  • This doesn't affect rents, which are set in line with government guidance.

We’ve secured new long-term loan funding to support investment in existing homes and the delivery of new homes, while maintaining our financial security. 

The funding is provided through the government backed Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme (AHGS). 

The £75m loan supports our long-term business plan, including significant investment in existing homes and around 300 new homes as part of our target of delivering 750 new homes over the next three years.

The loan is taken out over 13 years on a fixed rate basis, which gives us certainty of our interest costs over that period. 

Pam Welford, our Executive Director of Finance, Development and Business Services, said: “Like any large organisation, we plan carefully for the long term and make sure the right funding is in place – not just for today, but for the years ahead. 

“The £75m of long-term funding we’ve secured supports investment in existing homes and the delivery of new homes. 

“The loan’s fixed rate and 13-year term give us greater certainty over future costs. That supports responsible long-term planning and helps protect funding for services and wider investment.” 

The Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme loan funding is managed on behalf of the government by leading European-based real estate investment company Venn. 

Loans under AHGS are funded through a bond issuance programme backed by a UK government guarantee. This structure gives social housing providers access to cost effective short, medium and long-term finance, with lower funding costs passed directly on to borrowers. 

Learn more about our Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme loan funding in the Q&A below. 

Questions and answers: Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme loan funding

We’ve put together this Q&A to help explain more about the new AHGS loan funding we’ve secured.

  • What has happened?  

We’ve secured a £75m loan to support our long-term investment in existing homes and new housing.

  • Why is Be One Homes borrowing money?

Social housing investment is typically funded through a mix of income (such as rent), grants, property sales and borrowing. The £75m loan secured through the AHGS is one of the ways we’ll fund our investment plans.  

  • Is borrowing money financially responsible?

Housing providers need to borrow money to deliver long-term investment programmes, which often run into many millions of pounds each year. What matters is whether borrowing is affordable and responsible. Fixed rate, long-term borrowing, like this AHGS loan, supports that approach. 

  • Is this different to grant funding?

Yes. While we sometimes receive grant funding to support things like energy improvements or new home development, this funding is a loan that will be repaid over time.

  • What makes this loan funding matter?

The loan has a 13‑year term and a fixed interest rate. This gives us more certainty over future costs and helps us plan responsibly over the long term. 

  • Does this mean Be One Homes has new money to spend straight away?

This funding ensures we can deliver the promised investment set out in our business plan. It doesn’t represent a windfall of new money or a change in direction. 

  • Will borrowing such a large amount affect rents?

 No. Our rents, and any changes to rents, are set in line with government guidance. This will not affect rents. 

  • What about investment in homes planned for the here and now?

We’re already committed to investing £68m over the next 12 months to improve existing homes. This includes speeding up some repairs, bringing more empty properties back into use, and improving the safety, comfort and energy efficiency of homes.