Housing Boost for Yorkshire and Humber

Regional leaders have welcomed news that thousands of families in Yorkshire and Humber are set to benefit from a £559m cash boost to increase the number of social and affordable homes, and to improve houses in some of our poorest areas.

Following Housing Minister Yvette Cooper’s announcement of the 32 percent increase in funding by 2010/11 compared to this year, the Regional Assembly, via the Regional Housing Board, will now put forward proposals for how the money is spent in Yorkshire and Humber.

The announcement came as an Assembly delegation, led by its Chair, Councillor Peter Box, Chair of the Regional Housing Board, Councillor Kris Hopkins and Chair of the Regional Planning Board, Councillor Steve Galloway, travelled to the House of Commons this week to give a personal briefing to Government ministers and other regional MPs over key housing issues facing the region. This was the culmination of a year long lobbying campaign to make sure that the region got a fair deal from Government in terms of housing funding.

Assembly Chair Peter Box said the increased funding showed the Government had accepted the region’s arguments for additional housing resource.

“I think it also shows the effectiveness of the Regional Housing Board and other partners in making the case to Government over the past 18 months,’’ he added.

Those comments were echoed by Housing Board Chair Kris Hopkins, who said: “There is now a real challenge for the region to ensure we develop the right structures for driving delivery of more affordable homes and regenerating some of our poorest areas. It is a challenge I’m confident we can meet head on building on the work we’ve already successfully undertaken.’’

This money is the allocation of regional funding for 2008-11 from the total announced in last week’s Comprehensive Spending Review. The money will go towards improving existing social housing and regeneration projects in Yorkshire and the Humber in addition to supplying more social and low-cost housing.

Yvette Cooper said: “Yorkshire and the Humber needs more affordable, decent homes not just to own, but also to rent.

“We need more low-cost homes and more social homes and we need to work in partnership with housing associations and private developers to create mixed communities. Providing social housing for families and addressing the problems faced by first-time buyers is a top priority for this Government and the allocations show we are committed to this.”

Additional support for affordable housing is provided through Section 106 and other programmes. The Government is also promoting further ways to fund shared ownership homes through Local Housing Companies and agreements for housing on disused public sector land, as well as through the Housing Corporation’s Funds.

The new funding is in addition to around £1bn for the housing market renewal programme over the next three years and a further £2bn through the ALMO programme.

For more information, contact the Assembly.