Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) A Managers Guide (2026)

How should an HNDA be taken forward?

Agreeing assumptions and findings

10.1 HMPs will need to make a number of key decisions about the assumptions underpinning their HNDA and how the findings should be interpreted in terms of housing strategy and planning. The HMP should take these decisions jointly and involve other key stakeholders as appropriate. In writing-up the HNDA, HMPs should clearly explain their reasoning and justification for all assumptions and how stakeholders have been engaged in and influenced the process.

Using the data

10.2 HNDA’s provide a breadth and depth of information on the operation of local housing systems which should inform both the LHS and LDP.

10.3 While the main interest for LDPs is likely to be on the amount of new housing land required and the spatial implications of that future requirement, the HNDA should also provide insights into the requirement for specific types of housing, including specialist housing and housing-related services, as well as broader trends on affordability and tenure balance.

10.4 The LHS will have a significant interest in the following HNDA topics:

• the condition of, and demand, for existing housing supply
• any under-supply or over-supply of certain types of stock
• the need for affordable housing supply by, type, location
• existing supply and future need for specialist housing and housing-related services.

10.5 The HNDA should also provide a sound evidence-base for the housing needs in terms of protected characteristics and be capable of informing appropriate policies and investment priorities to meet these requirements. This evidence should also inform the Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) undertaken for both the LHS and LDP.

Signing-off an HNDA

10.6 Once an HNDA has been finalised within the partnership it should be signed-off by a senior official(s) from each local authority housing and planning departments prior to being forwarded to the CHMA for robust and credible appraisal.

CHMA support and assessment

10.7 The robust and credible criteria against which the CHMA will assess an HNDA can be found here in the HNDA Practitioners Guide. The CHMA will provide support to HMPs throughout the development of the HNDA and collaborate with them to ensure it achieves robust and credible status. The CHMA can also provide informal comments on draft HNDA chapters before they are formally assessed as robust and credible and HNDA training can also be provided by the CHMA if that is helpful.