Great Places trumpets 730th affordable home
A MANCHESTER-based housing association is celebrating the completion of 730 new affordable homes across the North of England in a total investment of £75m.
The completion of the 730th home for Great Places Housing Group is the culmination of the four-year Affordable Homes Programme supported and partly funded by the Homes and Communities Agency.
It has seen the development of 1,371 new homes in 26 local authorities through the North West and Yorkshire since April 2011.
The homes cater for a broad spectrum of housing needs including one and two bed apartments as well as a range of two, three, four, and five bed houses and bungalows – which are available for a mix of rent and shared ownership.
The development programme has also provided a boost in career opportunities in the north – including the creation and maintenance of 124 apprenticeship positions, 17 new professional level posts and 23 work experience placements.
Great Places chief executive Matthew Harrison said: “We are thrilled to have exceeded our development targets and, in doing so, made a significant contribution over the last four years to help reduce the housing crisis in the north of England.
“The Affordable Homes Programme really celebrates what Great Places is all about – providing quality affordable homes that cater for people of varying needs and help create successful, vibrant communities.”
Great Places has also begun building over 900 additional homes across the north of England, which are due for completion by March 2017.
It estimated that approximately 240,000 new homes need to be built each year in order to meet the UK’s rising housing demands.
