Two housing associations have worked together to unlock government funding, paving the way for 115 new social and affordable homes in the northeast of England.
Through a partnership between believe housing and Karbon Homes, the homes will be delivered across five sites in County Durham.
Together, the developments represent an investment of £28.5 million, aiming to help meet the area’s high demand for affordable housing.
The delivery of the 115 homes is being part-funded by Homes England, through Karbon Homes’ Strategic Partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency.
Faye Gordon, Executive Director of Finance and Investment at believe housing, said:
“Diligent work and ambitious thinking, underpinned by a shared commitment to meeting local housing needs, has enabled this partnership with Karbon; unlocking vital funding at a critical time and allowing us to move forward with construction.
“As a not-for-profit landlord, grant funding is essential to help us deliver new social and affordable homes that enhance communities and improve outcomes for residents.
“Investment in affordable housing isn’t just about building homes; it supports local jobs, strengthens the economy, and helps create healthier, more connected communities. Every pound spent delivers lasting value.”
All the homes will be owned and managed by believe housing, which is working with specialist affordable homes developer Adderstone Living to deliver 32 homes in Stanhope and 56 in Easington.
The organisation is also buying homes on three sites currently under construction, including 16 in Consett, seven in Crook and four in Wolsingham.
Most of the homes will be available for Social Rent, the most in-demand and affordable tenure. The remainder will be offered through Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership, helping people take steps towards owning their own home.
Sarah Robson, Executive Director of Development and Asset Management at Karbon Homes, said: “There’s a significant need for more affordable housing in Durham, and as housing associations working in partnership, we can boost the number of new homes we can deliver in the region, to help meet the growing demand.
“These schemes from believe housing are fantastic examples of building to meet the needs of the local community with a mix of rent and affordable home ownership options.
“Believe housing was able to take advantage of the grant funding available to Karbon at a time when wider grant funding was not quickly available.
“As partners we’ve managed our development pipelines to ensure construction can quickly move forward and I look forward to seeing these new homes progress over the coming months.”
Last year, believe housing had been ready to start work on the Stanhope and Easington developments, with land, planning permission and contractors in place.
However, the schemes were paused due to Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2021-2026 becoming fully allocated.
The partnership with Karbon Homes has allowed believe housing to access £10.8 million from Karbon’s Strategic Partnership with Homes England and construction on both sites is now underway.
As a strategic partner Karbon has been provided with £181 million in funding to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire by 2026.
Kate Abson, Director of Assets and Development at believe housing, said: “This is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to find solutions.
“These developments were ready to go, and by collaborating, we’ve been able to secure the funding needed to move forward and deliver high-quality, affordable homes for these communities.
“It means we can provide more of the right homes, in the right places, to help meet people’s needs and ambitions; not just now, but for the future too.”
The two housing associations are both members of the North East Housing Partnership, a group of social housing providers working together to support the North East Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver a comprehensive housing plan for the region.
The partnership aims to drive inclusive economic growth, support net zero ambitions, and help residents live healthier lives.
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