The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is calling on the UK government to carry out a comprehensive review of shared ownership in England.

The institute is warning that the tenure must be financially sustainable over the long term, rather than simply affordable at the point of purchase.

The call comes as CIH publishes new research, Shared ownership in England: Assessing the tenure’s evolving role.

The research examines how affordability, staircasing and accessibility have changed since shared ownership was introduced in 1980, and what more could be done to secure its future.

Shared ownership remains an important route into affordable homeownership for people who might otherwise be priced out of the housing market. The research acknowledges many success stories, with people able to establish stable homes through the tenure.

However, the report warns that affordability assessed when a shared ownership property is purchased does not always remain sustainable over time.

It finds that a significant proportion of shared owners show signs of financial instability, while satisfaction can decline the longer people remain in their homes. The pressures appear particularly pronounced among those living in flats, who report experiences similar to those faced by leaseholders.

Recent reforms have been welcomed by CIH, including the introduction of 1% staircasing, a 10-year repair warranty and the standardisation of lease terms to 990 years. The current Social and Affordable Homes Programme has also placed greater emphasis on service charge affordability and clearer transparency.

However, the research highlights a significant gap: these reforms apply only to new shared ownership homes. CIH estimates that around 200,000 existing shared owners are not covered, creating a risk of a two-tier system in which the level of protection available depends on when a property was purchased.

The report makes six recommendations for government, housing providers and regulators:

• Strengthen regional responsiveness in shared ownership delivery.
• Reform affordability assessments to take account of long-term financial sustainability.
• Enhance regulatory coordination and oversight.
• Promote greater transparency around staircasing and resale.
• Improve data infrastructure and longitudinal tracking.
• Undertake a comprehensive, evidence-based review of the tenure.

Megan Hinch, co-author of the report and CIH policy manager, said shared ownership had enabled thousands of people to access the housing ladder who would otherwise have been excluded.

“Shared ownership has helped thousands of people take a first step onto the housing ladder who would otherwise have been shut out of it, and it’s important that we don’t lose sight of that,” she said.

“But our research shows that affordability can’t just be considered once, at the point someone buys their home. Government, providers and lenders need to work together to build a tenure that is transparent and sustainable across its whole lifecycle. That means better data, clearer information for shared owners, and a proper, evidence-based review of how the model is working in practice.”