Our Chief Executive, and Chair of JV North, John Bowker, has responded to today's news that £39 billion is being invested into a new 10-year Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) as part of the government's Spending Review.
We're proud to be part of the 14 housing associations and homebuilding local authority members that make up JV North and we welcome today's announcement.
John said:
“After many years of campaigning, it is very pleasing to see housing so high up the political agenda which is where it should be given everything stems from having a good, warm, secure home.
“Ultimately, meeting the housing crisis and building homes en masse requires significant financial investment and this is exactly what government has recognised and acted on.
“The challenge from government is now clear and JV North will doubtless rise to it – we delivered over 10,000 homes in the past decade and need to achieve a similar number once again.
“The 10-year programme effectively means continuous market engagement bidding which will negate, as much as is possible, volatile market conditions such as inflationary build cost pressures.
“This, along with certainty and a long-term plan, will cascade through the sector giving boards confidence to approve schemes at a time when financial viability is under heavy scrutiny.
“Continuous funding will also avoid a housebuilding slowdown as we get circa two-thirds of the way into a AHP and enable larger-scale regeneration projects that make a significant impact to be delivered.”