Starting this year, housing associations on the Isle of Wight will have access to new government funding.
The Social Housing Grant is expected to help fund new homes that will be available at lower rent levels.
A campaign by the Isle of Wight Council, MP Bob Seely and housing associations on the Island has been successful in adding the Island to the government’s list of areas in England where newly-built social housing can claim a higher level of grant money to keep future rents down.
Cabinet member for planning and housing, Barry Abraham, said:
“Our vision for housing is to enable everyone living on the Island to have a place they call home.
“When we studied the housing situation and asked local people for their views, we gained useful new evidence and information.
“Challenges we identified include the problems faced by young people trying to afford accommodation on the Island; and the high cost of developing new affordable housing on the Island when compared to mainland sites.
“With the support of our partners on the Isle of Wight housing partnership board I am pleased that we have been able to successfully make the case to the government for extra support to create new social housing that local people can afford.”
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Bob Seely MP said:
“I am delighted that after months of campaigning, the Government has recognised the Island’s housing needs by taking action to help create genuinely more affordable homes for Islanders, particularly our young people.
“I thank the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, for listening and I look forward to future conversations with him about the Island’s housing needs.”
Oliver Boundy of Southern Housing Group, chair of the Isle of Wight housing partnership board said:
“In most cases, our homes are already let at social rent levels.
“But solving the Island’s housing crisis will need not just existing housing but also new homes that people can afford, and to build new homes at a cost that is realistic will need subsidy from somewhere.
“Now the government has recognised the particular needs of the Island by offering this higher level of grant, I am optimistic that we can make progress in addressing this critical issue.”
just another excuse to concrete over more of the island in the name of extra money for the councillors, at the expense of the environment.
This new social housing grant is OK just as long the housing is for ISLANDERS ONLY……… Not for mainland overspill and all the dregs of society from across the Solent??????
Worry about the island dregs born and bred here! If you don’t know them it’s the same names week in week out that pop up in our local court in Newport! Stop trying to portray the island has some sort of utopia when it’s not. Ryde, Newport Cowes, Sandown, Lake, Bembridge, Yarmouth, Niton St Helen’s all have problem individuals that make life miserable for most of us hard working law abiding citizens.
Well yes, I agree, the island is not ‘squeaky clean and free of idiot law breakers’. So my point I will reiterate, we don’t need anymore overspill and mainland dregs moving over here to add to the numbers we already have….
Thing is last time I looked the island is part of England and if people want to move here or be moved here from the mainland then they can.
nope – the island does not need or want filth from the mainland moved here – we have enough with the prisons and the locally grown deadbeats
Just use additional funds to sterilize these ugg’s. They’re like rabbits and will keep reproducing more ugg’s too fill these new houses.
If your intention is to push hard working tax payers away from the island so it can become the welfare capital of the uk then you’re going the right way about it.
Most of them don’t ‘want’ the children, they KNOW that they provide a free house and money for 18 years. Hence many are loved, just a necessity to avoid work and still live well. FACT
Erratum, for ‘are loved’ read AREN’T loved
Echo have taken the editing feature for some reason?
I”ve come to the conclusion that social housing is a MYTH builders are in business to make money, if the government is serious about social housing they should cap the rents at a price that lower income families can afford
You think it’s your island I came here 17 yrs ago and have lead a distant life. Every body is entitled to choose where they live why not.we overners as you call us are just as good as any one here .every one is entitled to speak as they feel.there are good and bad every where love the idea of building more homes for the young and old