JV North commits £160m to housing

Social housing consortium JV North is to spend £160m to build 1,800 homes in the region over the next three years.

Nine members in the North West and one in Nottingham will invest the funds during the 2015/18 Affordable Homes Programme.

The investment will complement the £34.8m grant the consortium was awarded by the Homes & Communities Agency in July, which was the second highest amount in the country outside of London.

In total, 1,745 homes will be built with 1,493 made available at affordable rent rates and 252 offered as shared ownership.

Liverpool Mutual homes will build 554 homes, Helena Partnerships 394 properties, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group 259, New Charter Housing Trust 205 units and Trafford Housing Trust 121.

Preston's Community Gateway will develop 110 homes, Aksa Homes 35 units, Weaver Vale Housing Trust 20 and Eastlands Homes will construct eight. Gedling Homes in Nottingham will build 39.

Nigel Wilson, chairman of JV North and chief executive of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, said: "Members of the consortium have proven once again how committed they are to tackling housing demand by supporting the development programme with over £160m of their own money.

"Along with grant from the Affordable Homes Programme, it will allow us to extend the range of tenancy options making housing available to more people in our communities."

JV North was formed in 2007 and is made up of 10 housing associations; Aksa Homes, Community Gateway Association, Eastlands Homes, Gedling Homes, Helena Partnerships, Liverpool Mutual Homes, New Charter Housing Trust Group, Trafford Housing Trust, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.

Collectively, they manage over 73,000 homes.