What is the Share to Buy Program?

PDF - Report

This Research Insight explores the Share to Buy program, an alternative tenure model in England. This program allows first-time homebuyers to purchase a home with a much lower down payment than through traditional homeownership.

In this analysis, we explore, review and provide more information on the Share to Buy program.

Key highlights from the Share to Buy Program analysis

Alternative tenure models exist in housing markets across the world. They can help potential homebuyers access homeownership and increase overall housing affordability.
The most common alternative tenure models are:
- co-operative housing
- lifetime leases
- shared-equity housing
The Share to Buy program allows first-time homebuyers access homeownership with as little as a 1.25% down payment compared to 15% with traditional homeownership.
It is the largest affordable homeownership program in England.
From 2015/16 to 2018/19, the program accounted for 34% of the new affordable housing supply.
In 2019, there were approximately 157,000 shared ownership households.

Future research on this topic will provide more analysis on the Share to Buy Program’s:

Impact on affordable housing
Implementation and funding
History
Benefits
Challenges

Author:: CMHC
Document Type:: PDF
Date Published:: May 26, 2021

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This report is part of the Research Insight series, under research priority area Housing Finance.

About CMHC Research Insights

Research Insights are summaries of our research reports. These insights:

identify a housing research issue, gap or need
provide an overview of the research project undertaken to address it
present major findings of the research

The research presented in this series explores the areas of Housing Need, Housing Finance, Housing Supply and Outcomes of the National Housing Strategy.