Towards £500 million will be spent building more than 11,000 affordable properties across the UK, Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has announced.
Image: Curo’s development of 700 homes at Mulberry Park, Bath. Curo & Swan is one of the Housing Associations to receive the third wave of strategic partnership funding
The funding will give successful housing associations the freedom to spend the money on the developments where it can have the biggest impact. The strategic partnerships were agreed by Homes England.
Homes England has also agreed a £9 million funding deal with Apex Airspace Developments who will build homes on London rooftops.
The properties – which will be built on five sites across the capital – are largely constructed off site before being winched on top of buildings, minimising disruption to residents. The first of the homes will be completed by the summer – and in total 78 rooftop homes will be built under the three year deal.
Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said: “By providing targeted investment in affordable homes, and funding innovative projects to build rooftop properties, we are making our housing market work for everyone.
“Our £500 million funding boost for housing associations will help them build thousands of extra affordable homes – including properties for social rent.”
Homes England Chairman, Sir Edward Lister said: “Our new ways of working with the sector means that housing associations can use their funding flexibly across their development programmes and respond quickly to local housing demand and a changing market.”
The Government’s renewed emphasis on social housing has been welcomed by the National Federation of Builders (NFB).
Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB, said: “Despite not being new money, this decision shows the Government is listening and taking action. It’s not enough, but it’s a first step in the right direction towards building more social and affordable homes.”
Rico Wojtulewicz, Head of Housing and Planning Policy for the House Builders Association (HBA), said: “Brokenshire needs to seize every opportunity to build more homes, but the greatest obstacle remains the slow and expensive planning process which prevents us from getting our shovels in the ground.
“From Essex to Eccleston, as long as the planning system remains broken and unreformed, we will never build the 800 homes a day we so desperately need.”
The Housing Associations to benefit from the funding – in the third wave of strategic partnerships – are: Bromford, Curo & Swan, Liverpool Mutual Homes & Torus, Longhurst & Nottingham Community Housing Association, Together, Walsall Housing Group, Yorkshire and Your Housing Group.
Victor da Cunha, Curo’s Chief Executive, said: “Securing Strategic Partner status with Homes England is great news; we exist to provide affordable housing for local people and this additional funding will enable us to deliver hundreds of new homes over and above what’s already in our business plan. Specifically, it accelerates our total building programme to 2,520 homes over the next five years.”
