Support needed to build homes (From Malvern Gazette)

Support needed to build homes

10:58am Friday 13th July 2007 in Letters

The figures released by trade union GMB on the low-level of house building in Malvern Hills (Gazette, July 6), coincides with the Prime Minister announcing plans for thousands of new homes.

As chairman of Elgar Housing Association, I am acutely aware of the urgent need for more new homes in our area.

Since its launch 12 years ago, Elgar HA has provided over 550 new homes and helped well over 600 households onto the property ladder through a range of low cost home ownership schemes.

We now have 1,600 households on our waiting list seeking an affordable homes. We are doing all we can to improve the housing prospects for these households.

The association is in the midst of its largest ever housing development programme. We will provide over 150 new affordable homes at North Site in Malvern.

Other new projects will see an extra 100 homes built in the town and local villages. Our latest initiative, Festival Property Purchase, will see £10 million invested over 10 years to assist 300 households into home ownership. Added to this, Elgar HA will next year complete its first state-of-the-art retirement village in Hereford and has plans for further such developments.

Elgar HA can provide funding, expertise, energy and commitment for the house-building programme. But we need the support of many others, planners, landowners and communities, to help in the provision of more affordable housing. Now is the right time to start.

Jonathan Slade, Chairman, Elgar Housing Association, Grovewood Road, Malvern.