Council housing is back: £20m for biggest build in 20 years

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Council housing is back: £20m for biggest build in 20 years
Daily Mirror - By Jason Beattie - 09th September 2009 

A good omen for 999?
http://tinyurl.com/myyqt8
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/09/council-housing-is-back-20m-for-biggest-build-in-20-years-exclusive-115875-21658837/

More than 2,000 families will get a new home after the biggest council house building programme for a generation is given the go ahead today.

Work will begin by the end of the year with some accommodation ready for struggling tenants within 12 months. The s250million scheme has only been possible thanks to a s127million boost from the Government.

The 47 councils across England and Wales will pay the rest of the bill. Housing minister John Healey said it is the biggest council house building programme for more than two decades.

The announcement marks a major resurgence in council 6 number built in UK in 2007 for housing after just six new homes were built across Britain in 2007. The credit crunch has forced a change of thinking at Westminster.

Mr Healey said the programme would also help create up to 5,000 new jobs.

He said: "Today I am giving the green light for councils to start building over 2,000 new council homes. It means that, despite the tough economic climate, the biggest council house building programme for almost two decades will begin by the end of the year."

Mr Healey is also planning to change the rules to make it easier for councils to keep the rental income from council properties to invest in new builds. And councils have been given more leeway in managing waiting lists to ensure local people and families are at the front of the queue.

2,000 houses are planned this year alone But Eileen Short, of Defend Council Housing, said: "Two thousand new homes is not enough. It's not even enough just for Birmingham."

2,000 houses are planned for this year alone just 6 were built in UK in 2007.