Council aims to build 1,500 new homes in Leeds in next five years after change in rules
A change in government regulations means that Leeds City Council can start building council houses for the first time in years.
The authority’s boss of housing says that this is one key to solving the social housing crisis in the city.
It has set a target to deliver 1,500 new homes over the next five years and land has already been identified for 800 new council homes – the first of the new schemes will be delivered by the end of December 2019.
Neil Evans, director of housing for Leeds City Council, said: “Last year, after many years of campaigning, the government relaxed the rules to enable us to build houses for the first time in a long time. We are doing that now.”
The reality, he warned, is not without issues but with the control back at local level, the delivery of social housing can at least be where it is needed the most.
It comes after the Yorkshire Evening Post reported of waiting lists of 200 weeks for some houses where more than 560 people are bidding for one property. The social housing crisis has pushed people on lower incomes into the most expensive tenure type - private rented, which now makes up 20 per cent of the housing picture in Leeds.
He added: “Land values are extremely high and being able to build homes and rent them out at a level at which people can afford to pay is difficult.”
In addition, 388 new homes were delivered between 2013-16 across ten sites, funded through the Housing Private Finance Initiative, at Little London, Beeston Hill and Holbeck with a total capital value of around £85m.
A total of 129 homes were built as part of a council housing new build programme on six sites across the city using £108m funding and in 2016, the council built its first extra care scheme of 45 homes for older people at Wharfedale View in Yeadon.
Up to £18m of Right to Buy receipts funding have also been used since 2015 toward a scheme which brings abandoned and empty private properties back into use, with 129 having being acquired and improved so far. And 250 new affordable housing units through Registered Provider and Third Sector schemes have also been completed.