‘For too long there’s been chronic underinvestment in social and affordable housing,’ Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said.
Last week marked a pivotal moment in housing news. The government announced further details of its £39bn Social and Affordable Home Programme, alongside £150m released from the Brownfield Housing Fund.
For the first time, regional Mayors will lead the allocation of £7bn in funding across six areas and the money will support the redevelopment of derelict brownfield sites, creating thousands of new homes across England.
Since the news broke, a number of industry experts have shared their responses, and these can be read below.
Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands
‘Securing this funding marks another opportunity to transform communities in our region. Part of our vision for inclusive growth in the East Midlands is to build 100,000 homes – unlocking new, affordable, and modern places for our residents to live.
‘Already, the government is supporting our ambition and recognising our ability to deliver. These developments will bring brownfield land back into use, deliver high-quality homes, and create jobs for local people. This is about more than housing – it’s about building a stronger, fairer future for the East Midlands.
‘I’m committed to ensuring that every new home built is part of a bigger story: one of opportunity, sustainability, and pride in place for the people of the East Midlands.’
Kate Henderson, Chief executive of the National Housing Federation
‘[The] announcements send a clear signal that social and affordable housing remains a pillar of the government’s housebuilding ambitions.
‘While the housing crisis touches all parts of the country, different areas have different needs. These plans will empower mayors to work alongside housing associations to meet the specific housing requirements of their local communities – be that family-sized homes, or homes for older people.
‘With a record 170,000 children now homeless and living in damaging temporary accommodation, delivering on a decade of renewal for social housing has never been more important. Housing associations are already ramping up their plans for housebuilding and are committed to working in partnership with the government to deliver the homes our country needs.’
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands
‘For too long there’s been chronic underinvestment in social and affordable housing. That’s blighted thousands of West Midlands families who have been left struggling to pay expensive private sector rents or stuck in temporary accommodation that can often be poor quality.
‘Helping these families into safe, warm homes that are genuinely affordable is the cornerstone of my Homes for Everyone priority. We’ve made a strong start, but the scale and ambition of this funding will help us go much further, faster.
‘I look forward to continuing to work with Homes England so we can use this money to provide the homes local people need and change thousands more lives for the better.’
Ian McDermott, CEO of Peabody and Chair of the G15
‘It’s great to see the government backing Mayors to help build more social and affordable homes. This will help regional leaders to support communities and drive local growth through social and affordable housebuilding, and we’re ready to play our part.
‘As not-for-profit social landlords, we work alongside mayors and councils to regenerate places and provide more and better social homes across the country. We warmly welcome the government’s ambition and commitment and will continue to do all we can to help deliver a decade of growth and renewal for social housing.’
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
‘Having a decent, secure home in a healthy and safe place is one of the foundations of a good life. But too many people in our city region are being held back because of a housing crisis that has gripped the country.
‘[The] announcement is a major step towards changing that: unlocking land, building the right homes in the right places, and giving local areas more of a say in how our communities grow.
‘The investment in social and affordable homes is especially important. It means we can get on with the job of delivering 10,000 new, energy efficient homes for social rent by 2030 – homes that people can actually afford and that will stand the test of time.
‘Working with Homes England, we’re determined to make this funding count for every community across Greater Manchester.’
Paul Dolan, Group Chief Executive of Riverside
‘This £7bn of funding for Metro Mayors to build new social and affordable homes will help thousands of people and families to access new, good-quality homes.
‘We also warmly welcome the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme guidance stating that around three in five homes should be social rent homes.
‘At a time when we have record numbers of homeless households living in temporary accommodation, it is crucial to increase the supply of social rent homes.
‘The number of homeless households moving into social housing has fallen significantly from 2004/05 when 51,040 households had their homelessness ended by moving into a social home.
‘This funding will help to reduce homelessness and ease pressure on social housing waiting lists across our regions.
‘Importantly, it will also enable Mayors to work with Homes England to decide where affordable housing will be built across our regions to ensure new homes meet local housing needs.’
Image: Galen Crout/UnSplash
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