Hundreds of families across the Leeds City Region are set to benefit from 800 new affordable homes thanks to an allocation of £17 million to social housing provider Yorkshire Housing.

The Government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has agreed the funding through its Affordable Homes Programme, which is set to bring over £181million in investment into the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber over the next four years.

A further £64 million from Yorkshire Housing will enable construction of 800 new homes across the Leeds City Region, which includes Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York.

"This is great news for the Leeds City Region," said Naz Parkar, head of area at the HCA. "It is the first of a series of contracts that will deliver quality affordable homes in our area, as well as excellent value for public money."

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The new homes will be among the first in the region to be built using the new Affordable Homes Programme, which gives local providers greater flexibility to deliver new homes at a time when public finances are tight. The programmeis expected to deliver up to 80,000 new homes in England, with more than 8,000 of those in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber.

Jim Taylor, Chair of the Yorkshire Housing Board, commented: "With the house building budget cut by 63% and a desperate shortage of affordable homes this is welcome news for the Leeds city region. Yorkshire Housing received 16% of the total bid for funding available for Yorkshire and Humberside and the North East which is excellent news for hundreds of families.

"We have identified some sites for new homes but we will be working with our local authority partners to build homes where they are best placed and most needed."

The Leeds City Region (LCR) Partnership brings together a group of 11 local authorities from across an area in which people travel to work and leisure to promote economic development and a better quality of life for our communities.

The Affordable Homes Programme, managed by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) announced the funding allocations on 14 July 2011. A total of 146 housing associations, local authorities and other providers were chosen to take part in the government’s £1.8 billion plan to build 80,000 new homes by 2015.

(CD/GK)