{"id":44669,"date":"2014-07-07T12:01:29","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T12:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=ad77f8d3bffbea4e4217fb1543fd5494"},"modified":"2014-07-07T12:01:29","modified_gmt":"2014-07-07T12:01:29","slug":"press-release-millions-up-for-grabs-to-build-affordable-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=44669","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Millions up for grabs to build affordable homes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Housing Minister Kris Hopkins today (7 July 2014) confirmed<\/a> that 15 councils will be able to borrow \u00a360 million additional funds over the next 2 years to build over 1,000 homes in their area.<\/p>\n

But he also launched a second round of bidding to ensure councils make full use of this opportunity – especially as authorities across the country have asked for more borrowing powers and up to \u00a3300 million in borrowing has been made available.<\/p>\n

Housing Minister Kris Hopkins said:<\/p>\n

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Councils asked for extra borrowing powers – and we have delivered. Today, 15 authorities from across the country will get a share of \u00a360 million of borrowing to deliver over 1,000 affordable homes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u00a3300 million extra borrowing up for grabs for the next 2 years. So today, I\u2019m launching a second round of bidding so more councils can make the most of this opportunity.<\/p>\n

Council housebuilding starts are now at a 23-year high – and more council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years. But we can go further and with these new borrowing powers available I want authorities to act, and build the affordable homes their communities want.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Building more affordable homes<\/h3>\n

Housebuilding is a key part of the government\u2019s long-term economic plan – since 2010, nearly 200,000 affordable homes have been delivered, with council housing starts at a 23-year high.<\/p>\n

Councils have argued for more borrowing powers to deliver more affordable homes in their area – and government has delivered, with \u00a3300 million worth of borrowing on the table for successful councils to build new homes in their communities.<\/p>\n

Today, Mr Hopkins confirmed the first successful bids for the extra borrowing – which totals \u00a360 million of this.<\/p>\n

But another \u00a3240 million borrowing power is still available, which combined with those announced today could help to support the urgent need for new affordable homes across the country.<\/p>\n

The minister made clear the money is \u201cup for grabs\u201d for councils who can put in bids that meet a simple criteria – ensuring taxpayers get the value for money they rightly expect.<\/p>\n

The 15 councils that have successfully applied for borrowing include:<\/p>\n