More funds have been released by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in the second wave of schemes to be unlocked through round one of the Kickstart Programme.

The announcement was made today by Housing Minister, John Healey, who revealed that a further 2000 new homes will be built on sites that had previously stalled due to the economic downturn.

This second wave of funding will allow work to continue at 27 housing schemes across the country is in addition to more than £10.2 million Kickstart money awarded by the HCA in September to unlock almost 750 affordable and market sale homes, across 10 schemes.

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This brings the total number of homes released through Kickstart to 2750 across 37 schemes with an investment of over £60m.

Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the HCA said: "This latest Kickstart money combined with funding through our standard affordable housing programme puts us in an ever stronger position for delivery of much needed new homes.

"As a result thousands more people will have a new quality home at a rent they can afford, or will be helped to take the first steps into home ownership."

The successful schemes announced include Kalamazoo in Birmingham, a former print works that is set to receive £1.7m funding to help build 50 more homes and The Grange in Bowburn, County Durham, which will receive over £3.3m to deliver 80 homes, of which 49 will be affordable, including 10 bungalows for the Durham Aged Mineworkers Association (DAMHA).

Also announced by the Housing Minister was an update on the HCA's National Affordable Housing Programme, revealing that in September, almost £400m was allocated to deliver around 6,000 affordable homes across the country. This includes £32m in the South West, over £13m in the North West and funding for more than two thousand new affordable homes in London.

(CD/BMcc)