Private housebuilders are likely to gain access to all the £3.3 billion of public money available to build affordable housing according to a document leaked to The Guardian newspaper. They will compete alongside not-for-profit and charitable housing associations who until now have had exclusive access to such grants. A report to the Housing Corporation’s board said that it was “likely” that a £200 million pilot project giving private housebuilders funds to build affordable homes would be “opened up to non-RSLs before a full review of the pilot project is completed.” The document also questions the government’s drive to increase the number of homeowners by 1 million by 2010 and the Housing Corporations ability to deliver this. The paper, in note form, said it is “likely” that “final government proposals on low cost home ownership do not enable Housing Corporation to deliver credible product portfolio and meet stakeholder expectations.” (Guardian)