Homes for the North welcomes the recent confirmation from Homes England and the government of the strategic partners that will help deliver the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Paul Fiddaman, Chair of Homes for the North, responds, “This announcement provides much-needed certainty and enables housing associations to move forward with the delivery of new social and affordable homes. We are particularly pleased that 11 of our 18 members have been confirmed as strategic partners, securing allocations for a total of over 27,000 homes. This represents a significant commitment to the North and reflects confidence in the ability of housing associations to deliver not only new homes, but long-term investment and positive outcomes for residents and communities.
While we recognise the fiscal constraints facing government, the forthcoming Budget presents an opportunity to make additional funding available to accelerate delivery further. Collectively, our members’ bid proposals set out plans to deliver almost 47,900 homes by 2039, demonstrating both the ambition and capacity that exists within the sector. To realise the government’s housing ambitions, it is essential that all providers have the resources, confidence and certainty needed to build at scale.
Alongside the strategic partnership route, it will be important to ensure there are clear and efficient funding pathways, including through Continuous Market Engagement (CME) that provide certainty for delivery across the sector and support the continued development of new homes. We look forward to working with government and our local authority partners to collaboratively meet the critical housing need that underpins the North’s future economic prosperity.”
