The National Planning Policy Framework requires that within the context of the overall housing requirement, the size, type and tenure of housing needed for various groups should be assessed and reflected in planning policy, including those requiring affordable housing, older people, students and those wishing to build their own homes.
The council has been working with consultants arc4 and Edge Analytics to undertake a revised SHMA for city-wide housing needs up to 2040 to support the Leeds Local Plan (2024-2042).
This work has now been completed following the relevant stages set out in national guidance including a survey of over 27,000 households, a stakeholder questionnaire to over 100 organisations and workshops with third sector groups.
The main SHMA outputs relate to:
- overall housing requirement and the government's 'standard method'
- increasing need for affordable housing across the city
- detailed understanding of housing mix (size and type of properties)
- recognition of current and future student accommodation needs
- increasing need for older persons housing particularly extra-care independent living units
- specialist housing for people with additional needs and specific household types
The SHMA will be used by the council to provide the evidence for policy proposals in LLP2040 and to inform the scope of the local plan as well as wider housing strategies.
The 2024 SHMA was published in September 2024. On 12 December 2024, the Government published the updated NPPF, which amongst other changes, set a new standard method for assessing housing needs.
The SHMA was updated in April 2025 to reflect the changes to the NPPF and the 2025 SHMA now provides evidence of the housing needs of the district including affordability from the base date of 1 April 2024. This is to be used as evidence in a revised plan period as part of Leeds Local Plan from 2024 to 2042.
