West Midlands gets £15m to improve social housing

The money will be used to upgrade homes across Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and the Black Country

Homes plagued by mould and damp will be improved thanks to £15m in government funding.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said it had secured £14.9m to upgrade inefficient homes.

Money will be used to replace heating systems, install high quality insulation and repair leaking roofs, windows and doors.

The Levelling Up secretary, Michael Gove, announced the budget at the Convention of the North on Wednesday.

The WMCA will work alongside local councils and housing providers in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and the Black Country to identify homes that need assistance.

"One of our key levelling up missions is driving up the standard of housing across the country and making sure that all homes are warm, safe and decent," Mr Gove said.

He said improving the standard of social housing was a key aim for the government as "poor housing kills".

"We'll be allocating £30m for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to start making improvements in the quality of social housing... to make a difference to real people in real places," he added.

Work will be aimed at upgrading housing to the government's "Decent Homes Standard", which sets minimum requirements social housing is expected to meet.

The WMCA said properties that faced damp and mould would be treated as priority.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chairman, said the money would improve the quality of life for those living in the area and the region had been "blighted for far too long" with sub-standard properties.

"Now that we've secured this money, we can put it to good work for the benefit of local people, improving quality of life in a tangible and meaningful way for residents in the months and years ahead," he said.

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