Regional mayors are set to receive increased authority to influence the types of homes being built in their communities, catering to the urgent housing needs of families. This move comes as part of the Government’s £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, aiming to address housing shortages across the country.
Six mayors have been presented with proposed spending budgets under the program, empowering them, in collaboration with Homes England, to develop strategic housing plans for their regions. These plans will guide housing providers in submitting funding requests in February.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed recently urged social and affordable housing providers to submit ambitious bids for funding, emphasizing the importance of addressing homelessness and housing insecurity. He stressed the need to accelerate the construction of social homes and remove obstacles hindering progress.
Under the proposed budgets, 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, West Yorkshire at £1 billion, and Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire each at £700 million. These figures serve as initial estimates, subject to adjustments based on official bids.
While indicative spending plans have been disclosed for the six established authorities, the allocated funds will be distributed nationwide. London has already been earmarked £11.7 billion over a decade as part of the initiative.
Sarah Elliott, the CEO of Shelter, highlighted the pressing need for more affordable social rent homes to combat soaring private rents and housing unaffordability. She emphasized the importance of setting clear targets for social housing delivery to ensure equitable contribution from private developers, aiming to achieve 90,000 social homes annually for a decade to effectively address homelessness.
The Government’s initiative aims to provide long-term solutions to housing challenges, prioritizing the creation of secure and affordable homes for families in need.