The Housing Corporation announced a shortlist of innovative proposals aimed at delivering affordable homes and contributing to economic growth in the North of England. Seventeen schemes have been short-listed for the Corporation's Northern Housing Challenge, which altogether propose to provide homes for over 10,500 people.
The short-listed schemes are from a mixture of housing associations, private developers, ALMOs and joint venture companies. The proposals range from new homes to halt migration of young talent from regions in the North, to regeneration projects, and schemes linking access to training and employment opportunities.
The Northern Housing Challenge was launched by the Housing Corporation to promote new housing-led projects that will help shrink the North's annual £30 billion output shortfall compared to the South, stimulate creative thinking and generate innovation.
Key objectives include:
Developing new and replicable approaches to the provision of affordable housing that will support the economic growth of the North.
Demonstrating how investment in housing can produce wider additional socio-economic benefits.
Chairman of the Housing Corporation, Peter Dixon, said:
"This is not just about houses, but the bigger picture. Creating the right kind of affordable housing in the right place is central to achieving the key objectives of economic growth and sustainable communities in the North.
"The Northern Housing Challenge not only illustrates the Corporation's commitment to new approaches to investment, but we designed it to find new ways with Regional Housing Boards for affordable housing to contribute even more to the prosperity and life chances of Northern residents.
"The seventeen short-listed proposals illustrate a real opportunity to try out new thinking. Given the North's long track record of innovation, we look forward to these proposals for new products, new funding approaches and new ways for residents to benefit from affordable housing investment. I know that making the final decision is going to be incredibly tough."
The final decision will be made as part of the National Affordable Housing Programme in early 2008.
The short-listed schemes are:
Tees Valley Housing Group proposes to develop 80 homes for rent and sale in North Shore, Stockton, aimed at halting the out migration of young talent from the region.
Sunderland Housing Group proposes to develop 100 homes for rent and sale. The aim is to deliver a mixed tenure scheme that will link access to training and employment opportunities.
Housing Hartlepool proposes to develop over 500 new build homes for rent and sale that will greatly improve the housing offered in Central Hartlepool.
Erimus Housing proposes to develop 38 homes for rent and sale. The project will be aimed at professionals on lower incomes who require an affordable base in the area.
St Vincents Housing Association proposes to develop over 200 homes for rent and sale in Rochdale. The proposal will provide improved employment sites for industrial and commercial users.
Great Places aims to develop a flexible equity model linked to community ownership in the Union Road, Bolton area.
Contour proposes to develop 100 new build homes for rent and sale. The aim is to provide flexible home ownership allowing greater choice in the Preston travel to work area.
Riverside Housing Association aims to renovate over 150 homes for rent and sale within the New Heartlands area of Liverpool. The aim is to provide housing where the purchaser/owner of the converted property is required to live in one part of the house and may choose to rent out other units within the same building.
LPC Living and Northwards Housing propose to undertake a substantial regeneration programme in North Manchester. The proposal will involve the provision of 285 new build homes for rent and sale.
Mosscare proposes to develop 50 homes for rent and sale. The new housing development will contribute to the regeneration of the new East Manchester area.
A partnership between Firebird, Bradford Community Housing Trust and Leeds West Homes, will involve a programme of developing over 900 homes for rent and sale and intends to make linkages with the city centre of Bradford and Leeds.
Kirklees Neighbourhood proposes to develop over 100 new build homes for rent and sale in the Fieldhead Estate, Batley, by developing linkages to local employment opportunities.
Igloo, a private sector institutionally financed investor, proposes to deliver affordable live/work units on the edge of Leeds and Newcastle city centres.
Chevin Housing proposes to develop 200 new build homes for rent and sale in the Darnell & Attercliffe area of Sheffield. Chevin and Arches Housing Association will work in partnership to increase the residential offer in terms of dwelling types and tenure mix.
Northern Edge, a group of four housing associations, proposes to develop 450 new build homes for rent and sale on the former Prince of Wales Colliery site near Pontefract.
South Yorkshire Housing Association proposes to renovate some 300 homes for rent and sale in the Fir Vale area of Sheffield, and, in addition, develop 250 new build homes for sale.
Keepmoat's proposal is to pilot the delivery of 85 new build 'Homebuy' units in the Durham, Barnsley and Liverpool areas.
In response to a Parliamentary question, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper revealed councils and housing associations built 21,086 new social rented homes in 2003/04 compared with 42,465 in 1996/97. This means that the number of new social rented homes being built in England in 2003/04 fell by 50% from the total built in 1996/97.
The Minister confirmed that the government had set the Housing Corporation a target of providing 28,000 social rented homes in 2007/08.
The London mayor's office confirmed its commitment to preventing investors becoming the dominant homeowners in major developments across the capital. It also advised that officers are also keen to develop initiatives that ensure that larger family homes are provided on new estates.
The pledges respond to new figures that reveal that 45% of all private homes built in London are taken up by buy-to-let investors.
Researchers also found that 91% of all private homes built last year had one or two bedrooms. Their report also highlights concerns about the poor management of investor-owned homes on some developments. It warns that investment buying could further hinder the ability of first-time buyers to access new homes in London.