Thriving communities, affordable homesBirmingham: a global city with a local heart The Homes and Communities Agency and Birmingham City Council Working in Partnership to Create Sustainable Renewal and Growth in Birmingham Presented by Paul Spooner and Elaine Elkington 30 April 2009
Thriving communities, affordable homesBirmingham: a global city with a local heart Birmingham City Council Elaine Elkington, Director of Housing & Constituencies 30 April 2009
Size matters 1 million people Biggest Council in Europe 64,000 Council tenancies Second biggest landlord in Europe Youngest city in Europe 19 of 20 most deprived estates in WM Region
0 200, , , ,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400, Forecast Actual And we’re growing ,000 extra people by 2026
... In particular directions. By 2026: 24,000 extra under-18 year olds 38% increase in over-85’s 100,000 more people of Pakistani origin Europe’s first “majority-minority” city Declining skills-base...low GVA per capita Target 60% CO 2 reduction
Thriving communities, affordable homesBirmingham: a global city with a local heart West Coast Mainline Meadway Perry Barr Selly Oak BIA & NEC Birmingham: planning for growth of 55,000 dwellings by 2026 BIA & NEC
Birmingham challenges: Deprivation
Birmingham opportunities: Council-owned housing land
Birmingham: No Stranger to Housing Growth & Regeneration Ley Hill Rea Valley
Birmingham: No Stranger to Housing Growth & Regeneration Amesbury CourtBrindley Drive
Birmingham: Sustainability in Housing Summerfield Eco Village: UK’s largest single renewable technology retrofit project; Decent Homes Programme: thermal improvements in 90%+ Council homes since 2004/5. Plan to improve energy supply in tower blocks; Delivering Affordable Warmth: Programme benefiting 5,800 private sector homes in 2007/08; Housing Education Initiative: Improving residents’ impact upon environment in Ladywood and Lozells.
The causes of poverty are complicated...
Local Authority LSC, JCP RDA, Business Link RDA RDA, HCA HCA LEA, Schools, LSC, CFE, CHE Police Health Voluntary Sector Private Sector Voluntary Sector Myriad Gov’t Dept’s Other Council Depts So is the task of addressing it...
Birmingham City Council believes in having a Single Conversation with the HCA and other parts of Government Being clear about priorities and deliverables; Acknowledging enormous scale and complexity; Ensuring that housing led regeneration = sustainable regeneration; The need for a joined-up approach on an area and project basis
Securing Growth Meeting city’s growth target for 50,000 new homes New Council housing as a stimulus for the housing market Use of Council housing land Jobs in construction for local people A continued commitment to mixed communities Developing the concept of flexible tenure
HCA & BCC: The public sector working with a single purpose
Thriving communities, affordable homesBirmingham: a global city with a local heart Homes & Communities Agency Paul Spooner, Regional Director 30 April 2009
People, places, belonging… The HCA creates opportunity for:
Our delivery partners include Private developers Voluntary groups Housing associations Advantage West Midlands National and regional agencies of Government Birmingham City Council and the local community Urban Living (HCA programme)
We are responding to the current market National Clearing House Scheme Homebuy Direct, Buy to Rent, Mortgage Rescue Tailored programmes for individual housing associations Flexible funding arrangements – fronting infrastructure costs to get schemes moving Talking to financial institutions and pension funds about funding private rented housing Attwood Green: The HCA investing £4.1m with Optima Community Association to purchase unsold new stock and provide more affordable homes
Our priorities are: Unblocking stalled projects and maintaining momentum in the housing market Aligning all public investment to support renewal and growth Supporting high quality and sustainable regeneration Developing a long-term commitment to ‘place’ through the Single Conversation HCA assisting the most vulnerable: Snow Hill Hostel – 157 bed facility – £6.9m HCA investment through the NAHP and Places for Change programmes
Unblocking Sites – Crocodile Works, Newtown Partnership with BCC, Midland Heart and Urban Living £12m HCA/ Urban Living funding agreed to bring forward development 168 mixed tenure new homes Cutting-edge sustainable development will spearhead the regeneration of Newtown
Supporting RSS growth targets Working in partnership to identify sites that will support growth Aligning investments with RFA priorities Longbridge – potential 1,500 homes Ladyport – potential 2,000 homes Newtown – potential 1,000 homes Supporting growth and renewal Renewal: the HCA investing with Midland Heart to de-convert multi occupancy homes back into high quality family properties: Radnor Rd, North Lozells
HCA leading on growth in East Birmingham: supporting the delivery of 3,000 – 4,000 new homes over the next ten years
Now further resources announced in the Budget will hugely accelerate growth: £400m ‘Kickstart’ fund to unblock stalled housing projects, including –Further monies for HomeBuy Direct –Increased investment for affordable homes £100m ‘Challenge’ fund for local authorities to deliver their own social housing programmes £100m ‘Green’ fund for retro-fitting affordable homes with environmentally improvements and for low carbon initiatives
Quality and sustainability “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)
Telford Millennium Community, East Ketley The HCA’s experience to deliver sustainable regeneration and growth
Telford Millennium Community Partnership delivery with Taylor Wimpey 750 EcoHomes ‘Excellent’ properties Almost £1.5 bn private sector investment Long term community stewardship model Extensive public consultation, community design workshops New infrastructure and community facilities Buildings for Life award winners for design Construction waste reduced by 50%
A commitment to ‘place’ in Birmingham In North Birmingham working with Midland Heart to refurbish run-down properties to create new family homes Supporting BCC with its PFI submission for housing renewal programme at Lyndhurst estate Supporting BCC in scoping interventions in North, South West and East Icknield Port Loop (Ladyport)
HCA provisional funding in Birmingham National Affordable Housing Programme - £30m Housing Market Renewal - £16m Property and Regeneration - £12m Gypsies and Travellers - £5m in WM (Unallocated) Places of Change - £5.5m PFI - £TBC - Potential for Lyndhurst estate bid Growth Point Fund £8m
There are huge challenges, but by working together there is scope for development The government has released further monies for unblocking stalled schemes The HCA will be flexible in the use of resources to deliver maximum impact BCC and the HCA are developing investment models that will deliver despite the downturn, and prepare the City for the upturn The pragmatic, can-do attitude of the HCA, the city council and public sector agencies will realise ambitions
Thriving communities, affordable homesBirmingham: a global city with a local heart