L&Q commits to joining fight to end Manchester’s housing crisis
The housing provider, which acquired Trafford Housing Trust last year, has joined the Manchester Housing Providers’ Partnership, a group of registered providers that aims to unlock affordable housing opportunities across the city.
L&Q is delivering 128 affordable apartments as part of FEC and Manchester City Council’s Victoria North development and is keen to help the city achieve its target of delivering 10,000 affordable homes by 2032.
Ben Townsend, new business director for L&Q in the North West, said L&Q would “benefit from the collective experience and drive of partners to improve the housing offer in Manchester” by joining the MHPP.
“Since L&Q joined together with Trafford Housing Trust in 2023, we have been developing our ambition to deliver growth and much-needed new homes across Greater Manchester.
“At L&Q, we pride ourselves on delivering maximum impact through strategic, place-shaping projects at scale and look forward to contributing with partners to meet these ambitions in the region.”
The point of the MHPP is to bring together the registered housing providers and the city council t make sure they are aligned on key strategic themes including the delivery of affordable homes, community safety, homelessness, the pursuit of net zero, and employment and skills.
Nick Horne, chair of MHPP and chief executive at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, said: “L&Q has a strong reputation across the country as a significant investor in homes and communities and are a welcome and valued new member of the partnership.
“I’m confident L&Q’s experience, capacity, and contribution will enhance our collective capability to deliver the ambitious targets of the Manchester Housing Strategy, which include 36,000 new homes by 2032, 10,000 of which will be affordable homes.”
L&Q completed 216 homes in the Greater Manchester area in 2023/24 and has 367 handovers forecast for 2024/25.
The housing provider has 10 schemes on site in the North West, delivering a total of 1,100 new homes.
Yes but affordable housing has become an misnomer. Who can actually afford them? Certainly not the people who are in most need.
By Anonymous
Let’s hope London and Quadrant are true to their word and in difficult times don’t take their money back down the M6.
By Anonymous
I appreciate the thought, but as someone who earns a reasonably good wage in Manchester, I still couldn’t qualify to borrow enough to mortgage an “affordable” home. I’d much rather they put the money towards building genuinely affordable homes elsewhere in the city. Or put it towards social housing since there are people who NEED housing much more than me.
By Anonymous
‘Affordable’ housing providers have morphed into private sector developers. Don’t believe the hype.
By Anonymous
Every L&Q affordable scheme in London has balconies.
Not in Manchester though because someone in the planning department doesn’t seem to like them. Amazing how someone’s personal preference can have such a profound effect on people’s living conditions.
By Balcony watch
@August 28, 2024 at 8:14 pm
By Balcony watch
The London Design Code requires decent balconies as part of dwellings outdoors space
By Rye