The ambitious plan would be the first time the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has directly funded the building of social housing, and comes after the Deeper Devolution Deal - negotiated by Andy - saw the government commit to handing over control of the Affordable Homes Programme.

Now Andy wants to use the huge funding attached to the programme – up to £400m until 2026 – to kickstart a new era in social housing, tripling the number of homes built.
The WMCA would partner with housing associations to build new social housing under Andy’s plan, which he launched while visiting the pioneering Nehemiah Housing in Great Barr, Birmingham on Wednesday, 27th March.

Andy's plan will use the new funding from the Affordable Homes Programme to triple the pace of social housebuilding in the region from the current rate of 500 to 700 new homes per year started by housing associations in the metropolitan WMCA area, to roughly 1,700 per year by 2028.

It will also partner with developers, local authorities and housing associations to regenerate estates, providing better quality housing for existing residents, and increasing the number of homes available.

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Andy said: “Everyone knows there is a desperate need for more social housing in the West Midlands, but until now we haven’t had the funding or control to be able to make a difference.

“However, now I am determined to use the landmark deal we signed with the government to step in, take control and get a grip on the issue.

“When there is not enough quality social housing available to rent, people who need stable and secure housing find themselves stuck on waiting lists for years and often trapped in temporary or unsuitable accommodation.

“That’s why we need to step in and use the hundreds of millions of pounds I have negotiated with the government to partner with housing associations to fill the gap, to start building the social housing we need.

“We are already the only region hitting it’s housebuilding targets, and we have led the way on making sure enough affordable homes are included in new developments – but this is different. This is the next step.

“This is about building quality social homes for rent for people who want to have a home to call their own, people like key workers, nurses and young families.”