£1bn government housing boost for North West

The government is to give nearly £1bn to the North West to deliver about 7,500 new homes as part of plans to "build the country out of a housing crisis".

A share of up to £10bn has been announced for councils and housing associations nationally in the first wave of government funding to boost "genuinely affordable homes".

Greater Manchester has been given the largest share of the six mayoral areas to benefit from this round, with Liverpool City Region set to deliver 3,100 homes supported by £380m.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged the largest post-war council housebuilding programme to tackle severe shortages and homelessness, saying "no child should be raised in a hostel room".

Nationally, almost 180,000 children are growing up without a permanent home, according to the government.

The Prime Minister said the cash will go to regional mayors, councils, housing associations and other providers, and will be spent on building "genuinely affordable homes".

Around 60% of the more than 70,000 properties are expected to be social rent.

They will be in the first wave of Labour's £39bn 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

The government said it aimed to help families "trapped in temporary accommodation or stuck on housing waiting lists' into safe, secure homes".

Burnham said: "No child should be raised in a hostel room and no family should wait ten years for a front door of their own. I have said from my first day in this job that everything starts with a good home.

"Nearly £10bn will go to councils and housing associations to build genuinely affordable homes, most of them for social rent, in the places where families are waiting longest.

"Councils built this country out of a housing crisis once before. Backed properly, and trusted to get on with it, they will do it again."

The Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook, said: "Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe, secure and affordable home.

"Yet far too many families in need of one are languishing on social housing waiting lists and almost 180,000 children in England are growing up homeless in temporary accommodation.

"The only way to fix this is to build more social and affordable housing which is why we're backing local leaders with up to £529m to support the construction of around 4,000 new social and affordable homes for families in need across Greater Manchester."

Under new rules, councils will also be able to retain all money generated from right to buy receipts to reinvest in new social and affordable housing.

The announcement follows promises from new Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig to build 50,000 new affordable homes across the region by 2039.

Some 10,000 of these are expected to be built or in the pipeline by May 2028.

Craig has promised to deliver a "golden era of more council and social homes", adding there is a national housing crisis.

Government grants, including the Social and Affordable Homes Programme funding, are expected to go towards paying for these.

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "It is hugely welcome to see this much-anticipated funding confirmed, something we have been calling for to kickstart construction on tens of thousands of desperately needed new social homes."

She added it was a "major vote of confidence in not-for-profit housing associations and in the vital and distinct role they play in this country, as organisations that work for the long-term benefit of their communities".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.