§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units have been built in each year since 1997(a) with social housing grant, (b) with local authority social housing and (c) with no public funding (i) in England and (ii) in rural districts. [117984]
§ Keith HillThe available information is presented in the following table.
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Affordable housing units built in England Units funded through: (a) Housing Corporation Social Housing Grant (b) Local Authority Social Housing Grant 1997–98 Deep rural 1,128 894 Mixed rural 4,172 2,427 All rural authorities 5,300 3,321 All authorities 29,551 10,161 1998–99 Deep rural 823 718 Mixed rural 4,181 1,764 All rural authorities 5,004 2,482 All authorities 28,207 9,714 1999–2000 Deep rural 734 728 Mixed rural 3,197 1,652 All rural authorities 3,931 2,380 All authorities 23,568 8,396
Affordable housing units built in England Units funded through: (a) Housing Corporation Social Housing Grant (b) Local Authority Social Housing Grant 2000–01 Deep rural 802 478 Mixed rural 3,190 1,532 All rural authorities 3,992 2,010 All authorities 20,867 8,081 2001–02 Deep rural 758 399 Mixed rural 3,036 1,283 All rural authorities 3,794 1,682 All authorities 21,605 6,628 Note:
Completions in respect of any schemes originally approved prior to 1996–97 involving both Housing Corporation and Local Authority Social Housing Grant support will be counted under both headings, but cannot be distinguished.
Affordable housing schemes comprise those for rent (including Tariff, and Mixed Funded schemes); temporary social housing schemes (including MiniHag, and short-life housing); and shared or outright ownership schemes (including leasehold for the elderly).
Source:
Housing Corporation returns
Information about the number of affordable housing units built without any form of public funding is not available.
The Government have taken substantial measures to alleviate housing pressures in rural areas as part of the Rural White Paper and Sustainable Communities Plan.
These include more than doubling the Housing Corporation's target for the number of approvals of homes in small rural settlements since 2000–01. The measures have increased the number of schemes in the pipeline and should start to flow through to an increased number of completed homes in rural areas over the next few years.
We expect over 5,000 homes to be approved in small rural settlements alone between 2003–04 and 2005–06.
Under the new regional arrangements it will be for Regional Housing Boards to consider rural housing needs in advising on the allocation of resources.