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

Why is the HNDA important?

3.1 A robust and credible HNDA will inform policy development, decision-making and the use of resources by:

• enabling local authorities to develop long-term strategic views of housing need and demand to inform LHSs and LDPs
• supporting local authorities develop a strategic approach to housing need and demand for all housing tenures
• enabling local authorities to reflect on any geographic implications of housing need and demand
• providing robust evidence to support decisions about new housing supply, wider investment and housing-related services
• providing evidence to inform policies about the proportion of affordable housing required, including the need for different types and sizes of provision and
• providing evidence to inform policies related to the provision of specialist housing and housing-related services