Proposals lined up for housing development firm

A report that sets out the opportunity to create a housing development and management company designed to accelerate the building of affordable properties in Manchester could move forward this week.The proposal follows an executive report in September 2019 that confirmed the council’s commitment to advance at least 6,400 affordable properties between 2015 and 2025 – 20 per cent of the overall housing delivery target of 32,000 homes during this period.Considered ‘key to meeting this target’ is to use council-owned land and work in partnership with the city’s registered providers, who in turn can access funding to build new homes.In addition, creating a local housing development and management company will mean the authority can develop affordable homes directly.Current estimates suggest a council-managed division could bring forward about 1,800 new affordable homes, along with more than 1,000 for market sale and rent.A report will be submitted to a future meeting of the Executive that will detail the approach to the housing delivery company. First the Executive will meet on 25 March to discuss the above.