Local families in urgent need of housing are set to benefit from increased support for regional mayors, enabling them to ensure the construction of suitable homes in their communities.
For the first time, regional mayors will have more authority to communicate housing preferences to developers, indicating the need for homes catering to the elderly, high-rise apartments, or council housing in their areas.
Today, mayors from six regions have received proposed funding allocations from the Government’s substantial £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, empowering them and Homes England to create essential housing strategies guiding future funding bids in February.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed recently engaged with social and affordable housing providers to urge them to submit ambitious funding proposals under the program, emphasizing the critical need for expanded social housing construction.
Reed emphasized the urgency to address housing shortages by advocating for a significant increase in social housing projects and removing barriers hindering construction progress.
Under the proposed budget plans, Greater Manchester is expected to receive the highest allocation at £1.8 billion, followed by the West Midlands at £1.6 billion, the North East at £1.1 billion, and West Yorkshire at £1 billion. Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire would each receive £700 million.
These initial figures are intended to assist mayors in early planning stages, with the possibility of increased funding based on official bids from respective regions.
While indicative spending details have been disclosed for the six major authorities, funds will be distributed across the country, with London already earmarked to receive £11.7 billion over a decade.
Sarah Elliott, the chief executive of Shelter, highlighted the pressing issue of unaffordable rents forcing families out of their homes, stressing the critical need for increased social housing to combat homelessness effectively.
She emphasized the importance of government commitment to not only investing but also setting clear targets for social housing delivery to ensure a sustainable reduction in homelessness by encouraging private developers to contribute to social housing initiatives.