The site delivery fund will unlock development on housing sites that have been agreed but are suffering delays.
According to Government estimates it will accelerate as many as 25,000 new homes.
The funding will be available to councils across the country to tackle planning issues that can cause delay and prevent builders getting on site.
Lewis said: “We’ve got Britain building, not least through our planning reforms to put power in the hands of communities.
“Now, the challenge is to get work started on sites where development has been agreed as soon as possible.
“Today’s £3m fund will do just that, creating jobs as well as up to 25,000 new homes.”
Since 2010 the government has radically reformed the planning system, making it simpler and quicker, with locally led plans identifying and allocating land for much needed homes.
As a result, planning permission was granted on 216,000 new homes in the last year.
The new site delivery fund will tackle issues that can slow things down, even when the principle of development has been agreed - like completing financial agreements and signing-off conditions attached to planning permissions.
Priority will go to councils with the greatest numbers of large housing schemes recently agreed. Each successful bidder is set to receive around £50,000 from the fund, which will close for bids on August 31.
Latest figures from construction information specialist Glenigan estimate that the number of homes with planning permission “on hold or shelved” has steadily fallen thanks to government-led efforts to get work restarted on stalled sites.
The numbers of homes on hold or shelved has fallen from 79,604 in January 2011 to 50,050 in June this year.
The new fund adds to the “deemed discharge” of planning conditions measure of the Infrastructure Bill, currently passing through parliament.
