Housing Secretary James Brokenshire MP has today launched the £1 billion Housing Delivery Fund a partnership between Homes England and Barclays Bank to help small and medium sized builders. The fund will support the delivery of new homes, including social housing, retirement living and apartments for rent, while encouraging greater innovation on how housing is delivered, including on brownfield sites and in urban regeneration projects.

Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) director of policy and external affairs, Julian Francis commented:

“This is a welcome move. Encouraging small and medium sized developers is key to delivering the government’s ambitious housing targets, and this scheme will help provide the finance needed by these firms for them to proactively and innovatively find ways to, not only plug the housing gap, but deliver more homes for those unable to get on the housing ladder.

“Only time will tell if this is a success, but this news should be welcomed by SME home builders, renters and first-time buyers alike.”

ENDS