Go-ahead for mayor's plan to create 15,000 affordable homes
A plan to deliver over 15,000 social and affordable homes across the North East over the next decade has been given the green light.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’ Plan for Homes – which has already seen developments completed in Blyth and ‘brownfield’ sites like Ashington’s Coulson Park among those earmarked to “high-quality, energy-efficient homes” – has been approved by the strategic authority cabinet,
The Mayor said: "Families are stuck on waiting lists, young people are priced out of the places they grew up in, and too many households are spending more and more of their income simply keeping a roof over their heads.
"That changes from today.
"A safe, secure and affordable home should be within reach for everyone and my Plan for Homes is how we'll make that happen.”
The plan aims to build on the thousands of homes already built through the Mayor's Brownfield Housing Fund - which has seen previously used sites developed for new housing.
It is backed with £143m from the National Housing Delivery Fund – aiming to provide 4,600 of the new homes by 2030.
John Johnston, chair of the North East Housing Partnership, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s Plan for Homes and the ambition she has set out for the region.
"We understand the importance of a safe, secure and affordable home and the difference it can make to people’s lives, as well as the role housing can play in supporting economic growth.”
He added: “This plan not only sets out the scale of the challenges we face but also offers a range of solutions including investment in brownfield regeneration, shaping the funding for social and affordable homes and delivering investment in construction skills.
"We are looking forward to working closely with the Mayor, local authorities, Homes England and partners to deliver against the plan and ensure housing supports thriving, sustainable communities across our region."
The £143m National Housing Delivery Fund will be used to overcome the barriers that stop homes being built, including abnormal costs, infrastructure constraints, land remediation and viability challenges.
For more information on the Mayor's Plan for Homes, go to https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/projects/Mayors-Plan-for-Homes