Councils show appetite for house building
Councils are showing a keen interest in building affordable housing, the Homes and Communities Agency has said.
The body has said funding for the second round of the local authority new build programme was oversubscribed by £240 million.
The allocations for the second round of the scheme, which were announced yesterday, totalled £122.6 million.
HCA chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake said: ‘The level of interest has been tremendous and demonstrates the appetite of local authorities to lead directly on affordable housing supply.
‘Deciding between the bids has been challenging, but the outcome is a really strong set of schemes that meet a high standard. I am particularly pleased with the number intending to deliver to a higher energy efficient standard.’
Birmingham City Council received funding for eight schemes through the second round of the local authority new build programme.
Strategic director of housing and constituencies Elaine Elkington said: ‘Only last Friday we celebrated the first birthday of the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust by starting on site with the 129 homes funded by round one. Funding for more new council homes is a terrific birthday present for the people of Birmingham.’
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Readers' comments (2)
alex kendall | 12/01/2010 1:48 pm
Sorry to be so cynical but how long will council house building go on? Will building halt after the next election I have reservations over all politicians doing things for electoral advantage HCA is a government guano thus its budgets are subject to intervention from HM Treasury we have a vast black hole in terms of public finances. Our political friends will not say how things will be paid for housing will as ever be at the forefront of the cuts along with VAT being applied to food for the first time
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Alex | 12/01/2010 4:24 pm
They will keep on funding in the same way they funded the banks, so that bankers can be paid bonus.
If the same approach has been used earlier we will not have poverty.
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