The Affordable Homes Programme is to receive a £300m boost to help build nearly 3,000 additional homes to enable more people to get on the housing ladder.
The announcement is part of the government’s continued efforts to ‘Get Britain Building’ and deliver ‘the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.’ Half of the 2,800 homes will be for social rent, and a further 250+ more council homes will be built through a £50m injection into the Local Authority Housing Fund to provide homes for those in need of better-quality temporary accommodation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who this week re-affirmed the government’s commitment to building 1.5m homes in this Parliament, said:
“For so many families, and their children, the security and safety of a home of their own remains firmly out of reach – and instead they have to live in temporary accommodation, including in B&Bs. This is unacceptable and is the result of the housing crisis we are facing head on. That’s why we’re driving forward on our plans to ensure a better future for everyone who needs a safe home, building on our plans to drive up living standards and build 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change.”
The government estimate there are over 123,000 households in temporary accommodation, including nearly 160,000 children, and almost 6,000 families with children in Bed & Breakfast (B&B) accommodation. The latest funding comes in addition to a commitment of £11.5 billion which is expected to result in up to 130,000 homes by 2026, a further £500m allocated in the Budget for up to 5,000 more homes affordable homes, and £450 million given to 150 councils across the country to help ease pressure on homelessness services, reduce spending on B&B accommodation, and provide safe housing.
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said:
“Today’s funding announcement demonstrates that the government recognises that boosting funding for new affordable homes, particularly those for social rent, is essential to meeting its ambitious housing targets and commitment to building a generation of new social homes. Housing associations share the government’s housing ambitions and we welcome this top-up to the Affordable Homes Programme. The funding announced today – in addition to the funding announced in the autumn – will help maintain momentum in the delivery of much needed social and affordable housing ahead of the new Affordable Homes Programme being announced at the Spending Review.
“Housing associations are facing a number of financial challenges due to decades of funding cuts. Alongside this vital funding injection, we hope to see a package of supportive measures at the upcoming Spending Review to enable the sector to build the homes our country needs.”
The government say they will also set out plans to crack down on ‘exploitative behaviour by rogue and criminal supported housing landlords’ with action imminent.A new licensing scheme, tougher standards, and the ability to stop housing benefit going to rogue landlords are all part of plans to be unveiled next week.
