FUNDING for more social and affordable homes in Acocks Green has been announced.

West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, revealed the investment, as part of the Homes for Everyone priority, has unlocked derelict industrial land for redevelopment.

The site, in Warwick Road, will see 32 social rent homes and 14 rent to buy properties and will be constructed by T R Partnership Homes for housing association Citizen.

Building more homes on derelict industrial land, often referred to as brownfield, is a cornerstone of the Mayor’s Growth Plan to drive a new era of prosperity in all parts of the region.

The Plan sets out a roadmap for the creation of 100,000 good jobs in fast-growing industries and getting tens of thousands of residents into work, improving public transport, and building 120,000 homes.

The Mayor has set a target for the region to be building 2,000 social rent homes, the most affordable type of housing, each year by 2028 to help reduce the number of people living in poor quality private rents or temporary accommodation.

Latest figures show that across the West Midlands there are 7,450 households, including 14,976 children, living in temporary accommodation and 65,335 households on social housing waiting lists.

The investment into the Warwick Road scheme means that since taking office in May last year the Mayor has used West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding to unlock sites that will provide more than 1,600 affordable homes, including more than 700 homes for social rent, which is more than in all the schemes the WMCA has ever grant funded.

Mr Parker said: “We need to be building more homes that are truly affordable for local people – like these in Warwick Road – if we are to begin fixing this housing crisis.

“My Growth Plan sets out a road map to fire up our economy, build more affordable housing and support our SMEs so people can find good jobs close to home, housing that is affordable, and transport that just works.”

TR Partnership Homes was set up just 18 months ago but securing the Acocks Green scheme has enabled it to get a commercial foothold in what is a challenging market for smaller house building developer contractors.

The scheme has helped safeguard 15 jobs at TR Partnerships Homes and its sister company TR Civil Engineering (Central & Southern) and enabled the company to take on a new trainee.

Support to help the region’s Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) grow, create new jobs and drive prosperity is also a key part of the Mayor’s Growth Plan.

TR Partnership Homes, part of the TR Group of Companies, is evolving into a true family enterprise.

Founded by Andrew Thorpe, Steve Taylor, Josh Skidmore and Steve Thompson, the business now includes Steve’s son and daughter as part of the growing team.

Steve Thompson said: “Without the support of the WMCA, this affordable housing scheme simply wouldn’t have been viable. Access to the WMCA funding has been vital in helping us bring this project to life and to deliver high-quality homes for people who need them most.

“As a newly established SME operating in a competitive and challenging market, having the opportunity to work in partnership with the WMCA has allowed TR Partnership Homes to gain a firm commercial footing.”