Chartered Institute of Housing urges review of shared ownership

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has urged the UK government to conduct a comprehensive review of England’s shared ownership scheme. In a new report titled ‘Shared Ownership in England: Assessing the Tenure’s Evolving Role’, the CIH warns that while the scheme provides a vital route to homeownership, long-term financial sustainability is a growing concern.

The research indicates that affordability assessments conducted at the time of purchase do not always reflect the financial realities residents face as time passes. A significant number of shared owners exhibit signs of financial instability, and satisfaction levels often decline the longer residents remain in their homes. These challenges are notably more acute for those living in flats, who face issues similar to leaseholders, such as rising service charges.

While the CIH welcomed recent reforms—including 1% staircasing, 10-year repair warranties, and the standardization of lease terms to 990 years—it warned of a potential ‘two-tier system’. Current protections and reforms apply only to newly delivered homes, leaving an estimated 200,000 existing shared owners without the same level of safeguards.