Newcastle City Council has secured £141.4 million of government funding to deliver 966 new council homes, after being selected as one of only three local authorities to become a Strategic Partner in Homes England's new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).
The funding forms part of the Government's £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, the largest investment in social and affordable housing in a generation and will help Newcastle accelerate the delivery of much-needed affordable housing across the city.
Homes England confirmed Newcastle City Council as one of 33 Strategic Partners selected to receive funding through the programme, which aims to deliver thousands of new social and affordable homes across England over the next decade.
As a Strategic Partner, Newcastle City Council will work directly with Homes England over the next decade to deliver 966 new council homes, supporting the city's wider ambition to build 15,000 new homes over the next ten years.
Councillor James Coles, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Housing and Green Investment, said: "Being selected as one of only three councils to secure funding through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme is a significant achievement and a strong endorsement of our ambition to tackle the housing challenges facing our city.
"This £141.4 million investment is a huge step in the right direction and will play an important role in helping us deliver our plans for 15,000 new homes over the next decade. In particular, the funding will support the delivery of 966 new council homes, ensuring that more local people and families can access genuinely affordable, high-quality housing.
"We have ambitious plans for housing across the city and are committed to ensuring that anything we do meets the needs of the people who live here. We are delighted to have been recognised as a strategic partner and look forward to delivering the homes our residents need and deserve."
The council has made increasing the supply of affordable and social housing a key priority, responding to growing demand and helping more people access high-quality homes that meet their needs.
Councillor Colin Ferguson, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: The council has made increasing the supply of affordable and social housing a key priority, responding to growing demand and helping more people access high-quality homes that meet their needs.
Councillor Colin Ferguson, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: "Accelerating council and affordable house building in the city was a key plank of our manifesto in the local elections. So it's fantastic news to see the Government backing the scale of our ambition just a few months in.
"At a time when demand for affordable homes continues to grow, this investment will help us create stronger communities, improve opportunities for residents and drive the long-term regeneration of the city.
"We're delighted that Homes England are backing us as a strategic partner, to show how local councils can meet housing needs for our residents."
The Strategic Partnership agreement gives Newcastle greater certainty over future housing investment and supports the council's long-term plans to increase the number of affordable homes available across the city.