£5m boost for Rotherham affordable homes

ROTHERHAM is set to get more affordable housing after a a successful bid for funding of almost £5m

The Great Places Housing Group has been allocated £4.9m  to build 189 homes in Rotherham and Sheffield after the confirmation of the Homes and Communities Agency’s allocations for its Affordable Homes Programme.

Great Places submitted a partnership bid to the HCA for grants to build much-needed new homes available for both affordable home ownership and affordable rent. 

The HCA launched its £1.8bn investment programme in February which is set to deliver 80,000 new affordable homes across England by 2015.

Great Places chief executive Stephen Porter said: "Our allocation will allow us to fulfil the need for quality affordable housing and provide people with real homes for the future.

“For Great Places this is fabulous news and will help us continue to grow and be successful in this difficult economic climate."

 

Naz Parkar, head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency, said: "This is great news for Rotherham and Sheffield, bringing quality new homes to the area.

"It is one of a series of major new contracts which create new homes and boost the local economy, as well as delivering excellent value for public money."

Great Places has already made improvements in Sheffield with its £48m transformation of the Wybourn and Richmond Park neighbourhoods which were transferred from Sheffield City Council to Great Places in May 2007.

It is also a partner in the Sheffield Housing Company (SHC), along with Sheffield City Council and Keepmoat Ltd, which plans to build 2,300 new homes over 15 years to create successful neighbourhoods and thriving communities in the city.