**Key evidence found:** 1. **Government's broader brownfield-first policy:** The UK government has explicitly stated a "brownfield-first approach to housebuilding" across multiple official publications. The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) "strengthened the brownfield-first approach," and the government introduced "brownfield passports" to fast-track development on previously used urban land. 2. **SAHP assessment criteria include brownfield vs greenfield:** The official Homes England guidance for the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026-2036 lists "whether development is on brownfield or greenfield land" as one of the factors affecting the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) used to assess bids for value for money. This means brownfield sites are given favorable consideration in the bidding process. 3. **Regional EMSA priorities explicitly favor brownfield:** Several Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, whose strategic priorities guide SAHP delivery in their areas, explicitly encourage brownfield-first approaches. For example, NECA "encourages partners to bring forward schemes that take a brownfield first approach," and WYCA encourages "development on brownfield land and the regeneration of existing buildings." LCRCA identifies "regeneration, town centre, and brownfield development sites" as having significant potential. 4. **However, the SAHP's two national strategic priorities** are: (1) maximising supply of social and affordable homes, and (2) delivering at least 60% for Social Rent. Brownfield is not listed as a standalone national strategic priority but rather as a factor within the value-for-money assessment. 5. **The £39 billion figure is confirmed:** The government confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review 2025. The claim that delivery "prioritises brownfield land" is broadly accurate. The government's housing policy has a clear brownfield-first approach, and the SAHP's assessment framework explicitly considers whether development is on brownfield or greenfield land as a value-for-money factor. Several regional authorities guiding the programme explicitly prioritize brownfield. While the SAHP's top-line national priorities are supply and Social Rent tenure (rather than brownfield specifically), the programme's bidding framework does give preferential treatment to brownfield sites, and the broader planning context within which these homes are delivered reinforces a brownfield-first approach. The claim is therefore substantively accurate, though a minor qualification is that brownfield prioritisation operates through the value-for-money assessment and regional priorities rather than as the programme's headline national objective. Sources: - GOV.UK, "Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036" — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-and-affordable-homes-programme-sahp-2026-to-2036 - GOV.UK, "SAHP 2026 to 2036: Strategic Partnership guidance" — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sahp-2026-to-2036-bid-for-funding-as-a-strategic-partnership - GOV.UK, "SAHP 2026 to 2036: Strategic priorities in Established Mayoral Strategic Authority areas" — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sahp-2026-to-2036-strategic-priorities-in-established-mayoral-strategic-authority-areas - GOV.UK, "Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing" — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-a-decade-of-renewal-for-social-and-affordable-housing/delivering-a-decade-of-renewal-for-social-and-affordable-housing - GOV.UK, "Thousands of new homes to be built as government unlocks brownfield sites" — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-new-homes-to-be-built-as-government-unlocks-brownfield-sites - GOV.UK, "Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes" — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/housing-sec-pledges-to-go-further-than-ever-before-to-hit-15-million-homes