Homes England brings in former prisons chief as new chief executive

Former prisons chief Amy Rees has been appointed chief executive of Homes England

Rees will take up the role at the agency on 8 September, succeeding Eamonn Boylan, who has been carrying out the role on an interim basis following the departure of Peter Denton last year.

Rees will join the agency after working at the Ministry of Justice for five months, first as interim permanent secretary and more recently as director general.

Previously she spent 13 years at the Prison and Probation Service, including three years as director general chief executive.

Under Rees’ leadership, Homes England will have a key role to play in helping the government in its attempts to meet its 1.5 million homes target.

It will administer funds outside London under the £39bn Affordable Homes Programme. It will also be responsible for a new housing bank which will be set up as a subsidiary of the agency. The bank will be designated as a public financial institution, meaning it can issue government guarantees directly and have greater autonomy to make long-term investments.

Rees’ role will also include overseeing the agency’s new regionalised operating model designed to enhance housing outcomes across England. Homes England was responsible for an estimated £3.3bn in expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2024, with total assets managed amounting to around £21.5 billion.

Angela Rayner, housing secretary and deputy prime minister, said: “Amy’s exceptional leadership and track record makes her the ideal choice as we work together to build 1.5 million homes, deliver the biggest expansion in social and affordable housing in a generation, and raise living standards in every region across the country.”

Rees said: “The housing crisis is one of the most urgent challenges facing our country, and I look forward to working closely with colleagues, government, industry, and communities to deliver the homes people need.”