Wiltshire Council to invest in 250 homes

Council leaders agreed housing acquisitions would be made through individual business cases

A council has allocated funds to provide up to 250 homes to support long-term need in the county.

In February Wiltshire Council set aside £10m in reserves to buy homes.

This will now be used as equity to purchase up to £40m worth of housing to tackle a "wide range of housing needs", including temporary accommodation and social care.

The authority anticipates overall it will invest more than £50m across a number of government programmes.

Council leader Richard Clewer, said: "We are committed to this significant investment as a clear indication we are taking an innovative and serious approach to addressing housing issues in Wiltshire."

The county was allocated a government grant of just over £4m to acquire homes for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.

Once the conditions are met, the council will use the remaining balance to deliver more long-term housing solutions.

'The right housing'

A spokesperson said the grant funding would be "leveraged up through borrowing at a rate of 40% grant funding and 60% debt".

The total amount available would then be higher and the council's own company, Stone Circle Housing, would be used to acquire the homes.

Mr Clewer added: "We are using funding ringfenced for Ukrainians to support them whilst using our own funding to provide housing support for Wiltshire residents.

"Our business plan underlines our mission to have the right housing."

He added the proposals would "ensure across the breadth of council services that secure housing plays a key part in providing long-term solutions to solving residents' needs".