Cheaper Homes

£38m so families in city can buy houses

Mar 22 2008 by Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo

HUNDREDS of cheaper homes will be available in Liverpool through a multi-million pound government grant.

The city has been handed £38m to help build and refurbish nearly 1,000 properties to sell or rent to families at reasonable prices.

Once housing associations have made their contribution, more than £80m will be available to invest in some of Liverpool’s most deprived areas.

It will be mostly spent in official regeneration zones, such as Anfield, Edge Hill, Kensington and Toxteth, but developments in Norris Green, Dovecot, Netherley and Garston will also be included.

The grant was awarded by the Housing Corporation as part of a campaign to get housing associations to build and renovate homes. It is almost double the city’s previous allocation.

Schemes will start within the next three years and must prove they will improve quality and choice for city residents, particularly those being rehoused from demolition zones.

The Housing Corporation also wants more larger homes and greener properties, so more than 90,000 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide is saved.

Cllr Marilyn Fielding, the council’s executive member for housing, said: “This is a huge investment by the Housing Corporation and we could even get more in subsequent stages.

“The council scrutinises all bids from registered social landlords to make sure they are deliverable and cost effective, and ensures the city gets the right type of high-quality accommodation.

“The fact that we have received such a large grant shows the Housing Corporation’s confidence in the work that is being done.”

Cllr Steve Munby, opposition spokesman on housing, said: “Any councillor can tell you just how many young families turn up at their surgery looking for somewhere to rent.

“The council must now cooperate with the housing associations and make sites available for them to build on, because there is a real need in Liverpool for new-build family homes.”

The Housing Corporation plans to spend £8.4bn over the next three years to help provide at least 155,000 new affordable homes, double the number from 2006-2008.

The North West will get £526m, although less than two-thirds has been allocated to individual areas so far. The rest will be handed out every three months, starting from April.

nick.coligan@liverpool.com