North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has launched a major new housing strategy designed to tackle the region's housing crisis and deliver more than 15,000 social and affordable homes over the next decade.
The Mayor's Plan for Homes, approved by Cabinet, sets out a long-term approach to unlocking stalled development sites and accelerating the delivery of high-quality, energy-efficient housing across the North East. The strategy aims to support regeneration, strengthen communities and ensure housing growth is aligned with investment in transport, jobs and public services.
The announcement comes as many households across the region continue to face rising housing costs, increasing pressure on household finances and growing challenges in finding affordable homes close to family, employment and local amenities.
Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
"Families are stuck on waiting lists, young people are priced out of the places they grew up in, and too many households are spending more and more of their income simply keeping a roof over their heads. Today, that changes.
"A safe, secure and affordable home should be within reach for everyone and my Plan for Homes is how we'll make that happen. We're sorting out the housing crisis by delivering more social and affordable homes, getting cracking with stalled developments and working region-wide to tackle homelessness."
The strategy builds on progress already made through the Mayor's Brownfield Housing Fund, which has helped unlock housing developments in Blyth, Newbiggin Hall and Whitley Bay, delivering hundreds of new homes.
A key part of the plan is the £143 million National Housing Delivery Fund, which is expected to unlock 4,600 homes by 2030. This includes 2,900 homes by March 2029, followed by a further 1,700 homes during 2029/30.
Funding will be used to address some of the most significant barriers to development, including infrastructure constraints, land remediation requirements, abnormal site costs and wider viability challenges that have prevented projects from moving forward.
The Mayoral Strategic Authority will work closely with the North East's seven local authorities, Homes England, housing associations and private developers to strengthen the regional housing pipeline and accelerate delivery.
The Plan for Homes is expected to play a central role in supporting economic growth, reducing housing inequality and ensuring more residents have access to affordable, sustainable homes in the communities they want to live and work in.
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