Background to the report

Shared ownership is a government backed affordable housing model, with the objective to offer an affordable route into home ownership for eligible buyers who cannot afford to purchase a home on the open market. There are currently over 250,000 households in shared ownership homes in England, up from 202,000 in 2020.

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The model enables buyers to purchase a share of the property – typically between 10% and 75% – and pay rent on the remaining share to a housing provider. Over time, shared owners can buy more of a share of the property through a process known as ‘staircasing’.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has policy responsibility for shared ownership. Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA) oversee delivery of the model, with housing associations and other registered providers responsible for developing, selling and managing shared ownership properties. The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) regulates shared ownership properties by setting standards for the registered providers that manage them. Shared owners can make complaints to the Housing Ombudsman if they have a dispute with their housing association landlord.

Scope of the report

This report sets out the facts on how the shared ownership model in England works, the challenges that affect shared ownership, redress (routes for complaints and resolution) for shared owners, and improvements made to the model by MHCLG and Homes England. It outlines:

  • the key bodies involved in the model, how it is delivered, and the impact of legislation on the model
  • challenges for the shared ownership model including accessibility of information, affordability issues and broader housing challenges that impact shared owners
  • government monitoring of the model, redress for shared owners and the government’s current and proposed actions to improve shared ownership

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Publication details

Press release

View press release (25 Mar 2026)

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