Together Housing has once again been announced as one of the Homes England Strategic Partners, following a successful bid to secure almost £250m of grant funding under the latest Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).
Together Housing plan to build new, energy efficient and affordable homes where they’re needed across the North for rent and shared ownership with a focus on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and the use of renewable energy solutions.
Steve Close, Chief Executive of Together Housing said: “We are delighted to have been announced as one of the Homes England Strategic Partners and secure the funding we need to deliver on our development ambitions, as outlined in our new Corporate Plan. Our strong relationship with Homes England has evolved over previous years as we have delivered on several Affordable Homes Programmes and we are looking forward to continuing to build on the success of the partnership. Along with our Delivery Partners, this funding will allow us to make significant improvements to the lives of those we serve within our communities.”
The announcement marks a continued relationship with Homes England for Together Housing, who have been a Strategic Partner with Homes England since 2019 and are currently contracted to deliver 1,331 new homes alongside Delivery Partners: WDH, Accent and Community Gateway.
The new Strategic Partnership will enable Together Housing to fulfil its ambitions to deliver quality, affordable homes across the regions we operate in. The £250m will be used to provide over 4,000 much needed new homes at a rate of around 800 per year over five years. The new homes will be delivered by Together Housing and our Delivery Partners for the programme: WDH, Community Gateway and InCommunities.
Andy Wallhead, Chief Executive of WDH said: “Our role as delivery partners alongside Together Housing allows us to achieve our vision of creating confident and sustainable communities by building even more high quality, energy efficient and affordable homes for the people of Yorkshire.”
Louise Mattinson, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Customers and Communities at Community Gateway Association said: “It is fantastic news that the bid has been successful, and we are delighted to be able to continue our involvement as a Delivery Partner within the Together Strategic Partnership with Homes England. This announcement allows us to deliver our ambitious development programme of providing over 800 new affordable rented family homes and homes for older people by 2026 for those most in need within Preston and the surrounding areas.”
Rachael Dennis, Chief Executive, Incommunities said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Together Housing to deliver much needed homes in the region. Collaboration is key to meeting the housing need of our communities and this partnership connects like-minded organisations who share a determination to deliver the right homes in the right places.”
The geographical area covered by the partnership is diverse, from rural and coastal locations to densely populated town centres and suburbs. There is a continued need to address the demand for affordable, quality homes in some localities in which we operate.
Together Housing has recently launched its new Corporate Plan 2021-2026, which aligns with the timescales of the new AHP 21-26 and the operation of the new Strategic Partnerships. As part of that plan, our Growth Strategy states that we strive to address housing needs by increasing housing supply and helping people access a variety of affordable housing options.
The Strategic Partnership will also provide us with an opportunity to enhance our employment and skills programme. Over the next five years we aim to support 7,700 people with one-to-one mentoring, progressing 3,600 into training and supporting 1,800 to gain employment.
For more information on the latest Homes England Affordable Home Programme, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/86-billion-for-affordable-homes-to-give-boost-onto-housing-ladder