Delivering affordable housing
This section explains how the Council delivers new affordable housing in the area
Although the Council no longer owns or manages any affordable housing of its own, it does play a major role in delivering new affordable housing in the area.
Housing Associations
Most new affordable housing is delivered by housing associations, know as Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). The Council has ten preferred RSL partners.
See more information on the Council's preferred partners.
The Council sometimes works with a number of other RSLs – mainly those with a significant number of existing properties in the Borough
See details of RSLs with properties in the Borough.
How new affordable housing is delivered
There are a number of ways in which new affordable housing is delivered:
- housing associations finding and purchasing development sites
- using the Council's Planning Policies to require developers to provide affordable housing on sites of over 15 new homes
- housing associations developing existing land in their possession (for example disused garage sites)
- conversion or redevelopment of existing affordable housing.
Types of affordable housing
The Council tries to encourage a range of affordable housing:
- rented homes
- for people on the Housing Register
- for Key Workers
- shared-ownership (now called New Build HomeBuy)
- loans to purchase existing properties (Now called Open Market HomeBuy).
The Council also tires to ensure a mix of appropriate properties across the whole programme. For example a mixture of houses, bungalows and flats, and of varying sizes from 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom.
Over the years 2006/08 – 2009/10 the Council has a target of delivering an average of 175 affordable homes a year.
See information on recently completed affordable housing schemes.
Information on forthcoming affordable housing schemes.
Funding new affordable housing
Affordable housing is paid for in a number of different ways. Often a development site may be funded by two or three different types of funding. The main resources are:
- borrowing by housing associations paid for from rental income
- grants from the Homes & Communities Agency (formerly the Housing Corporation)
- grants from the Council
- discounts and subsidies from developers (for affordable housing required by planning policies)
- various other funding resources.
Last updated : 01/04/2010
