Today’s Budget is a welcome step towards tackling the housing crisis and building on the success of devolution across West Yorkshire.
We welcome the additional £1.5bn investment in the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP), alongside the continued commitment to help people sleeping rough find a route off the streets.
With around 85,000 households across West Yorkshire on housing waiting lists, the scale of the challenge is clear. We need to make sure this additional investment reaches all five districts and that registered providers across the region can access the funding they need to play their part in delivering new homes.
In the recent funding round, Bradford did not benefit from housing investment at the level we would expect for a district of its scale and need. Future funding must help address that imbalance and give Bradford a fair opportunity to deliver the affordable homes its communities need.
Giving regional mayors greater control over funding also builds on the benefits of devolution and creates an opportunity to make sure investment better reflects housing need across West Yorkshire.
Measures to reduce the cost of living and increase the minimum wage announced today will help thousands of households facing financial pressure, including many people living in social housing.
Housing associations are ready to play their part. With long-term investment, fair access to funding and strong partnerships across West Yorkshire, we can deliver more homes, support regeneration and improve lives.