'Ten thousand affordable homes to be built' - WMCA

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker is to work with Homes England to shape the plan

At least 10,000 affordable homes are to be built across the West Midlands after the region secured £1.7 billion in government funding, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has said.

The investment, according to the authority, will support the construction of new social and affordable housing, helping families move out of temporary accommodation and off council waiting lists.

The homes would be built over the next decade, starting from April next year, WMCA added.

Mayor Richard Parker would work with Homes England, WMCA said, to decide what types of properties were built and where construction should be prioritised.

Figures show 7,450 households , which include almost 15,000 children, are living in temporary accommodation across the West Midlands, while more than 65,000 households are on social housing waiting lists.

Parker has pledged to build 2,000 social rent homes each year by 2028, saying he wants to focus on the most affordable housing to tackle the region's shortage.

Since becoming mayor in May last year, Parker has used WMCA's own housing funds to unlock more than 1,500 affordable homes on brownfield land, including more than 750 for social rent.

Parker said: "For too long there's been chronic under investment in social and affordable housing. That's blighted thousands of West Midlands families who have been left struggling to pay expensive private sector rents or stuck in temporary accommodation that can often be poor quality.

"Helping these families into safe, warm homes that are genuinely affordable is the cornerstone of my Homes for Everyone priority. We've made a strong start, but the scale and ambition of this funding will help us go much further, faster.

"I look forward to continuing to work with Homes England so we can use this money to provide the homes local people need and change thousands more lives for the better."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.