Greater Manchester will receive £529 million from the first wave of the Government's £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, the largest share among six mayoral areas, to deliver around 4,400 new homes. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the funding aims to “build the country out of a housing crisis” and that “no child should be raised in a hostel room and no family should wait ten years for a front door of their own.”
Funding allocation and delivery targets
The wave one funding of £10 billion will go to regional mayors, councils, housing associations, and other providers. Around 60 per cent of the more than 70,000 properties to be funded nationally through the allocations are expected to be for social rent.
Mayor Bev Craig claimed the region can “turn the tide” on the housing crisis with the right support from the Government, and has promised to build 50,000 new affordable homes across the region by 2039.
Reaction to the plan
The plan differs from the one originally pitched by Mr Burnham during his Makerfield by-election campaign, when he called for the entire £39 billion programme to be spent on council housing. Some have accused the PM of watering down his ambitions, but Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook rejected the suggestion.
“Andy Burnham said in the by-election that he wanted to see more money spent on social rent on council house building,” he told BBC Breakfast. “That’s exactly what we’re doing through this initial wave of funding.”
Ms Craig said too many people are stuck on housing waiting lists, living in temporary accommodation, or priced out of the places they call home. She hailed the announcement as a “welcome boost” to her plans for a “golden era” of delivery.
“I know first-hand the security that a council house brings,” she said. “That’s why I welcome this Government’s commitment to deliver a new generation of council, social and genuinely affordable homes.”
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the commitment is personal. “Families can’t be left raising children without a place to call home and none of us should spend years waiting for somewhere safe and affordable to live,” she said. “I know how important fixing this is - because I’ve been there.
“A safe and secure home was the foundation for a better life – I couldn’t have got to where I have today without it. That’s why the Prime Minister and I are doing everything we can to get councils building once again – it’s fundamental to turning the housing crisis around, helping families out of temporary accommodation and into a secure home.”
