Member Article

£9.6 million cash boost to provide affordable homes across Teesside

Hundreds of much-needed affordable homes are on the agenda across Teesside thanks to a cash award of almost £10m for a Tees Valley housing group.

The £9.6 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for the Thirteen Group will see 284 new homes built across the Tees Valley and wider area for its partner landlords and developers, Erimus Housing, Housing Hartlepool, Tees Valley Housing and Tristar Homes.

The money will not only help develop essential new homes to help meet a variety of housing needs across a range of sites including in Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough; it will also go towards refurbishing 95 empty properties.

The development plans are testament to the Thirteen Group’s commitment to challenging preconceived ideas, seeing things differently and leading innovation and also mean millions of pounds will be driven into the economy, helping boost job creation and business.

Martin Hawthorne, Thirteen Group’s director of development and regeneration said: “One of the most pleasing things about this result is that it supports Thirteen Group in three areas that are particularly important to us – the reviving of empty properties, helping people finding it difficult to buy their own home and helping more vulnerable residents.

“The money will make a hugedifference to the lives of hundreds of people across the Tees Valley and even into the wider region.

“The support from the HCA is a big vote of confidence in the work we have done so far and the plans we have for the future.

“Owning and managing more than 32,000 homes means the Thirteen Group is always at the centre of communities.

“How they grow is important to us, so we are always working hard to provide homes in the right places and for those most in need.

“We never stop working on those projects, but this latest boost from the Homes and Communities Agency will help us realise those plans as early as possible.”

The money is part of £23 million for the Spirit Partnership, a group of social housing companies which includes the partners in the Thirteen Group, for more than 1,000 affordable homes to be built across the North-East, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.

Thirteen chief executive Alison Thain added: “The allocation for Spirit Partnership means that our partners at the HCA have recognised us as playing a hugely significant role in providing new homes in this region.

“Whilst building nearly 1,000 new homes Spirit will be pumping more than £100 million into the economy which will help us to continue our work creating jobs and supporting local businesses.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .