The Homes and Communities Agency and Birmingham City

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 Birmingham: a global city with a local Thriving communities, affordable homes

Birmingham City Council Elaine Elkington, Director of Housing & Constituencies 30 April 2009 Birmingham: a global city with a local Thriving communities, affordable homes

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

And we’re growing. . . 1, 400, 000 1, 200, 000 Forecast 1, 000 Actual 800, 000 100, 000 extra people by 2026 600, 000 400, 000 200, 000 0 1801 1851 1901 1951 2001

. . . 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

Birmingham: planning for growth of 55, 000 dwellings by 2026 Perry Barr Meadway BIA & NEC West Coast Mainline Selly Oak BIA & NEC Birmingham: a global city with a local Thriving communities, affordable homes

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 Court Brindley 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. . .

So is the task of addressing it. . . Police Health Voluntary Sector HCA Voluntary Sector LSC, JCP Business Link Myriad Gov’t Dept’s Local Authority LEA, Schools, LSC, CFE, CHE Private Sector RDA, HCA Other Council Depts

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

Homes & Communities Agency Paul Spooner, Regional Director 30 April 2009 Birmingham: a global city with a local Thriving communities, affordable homes

The HCA creates opportunity for: People, places, belonging…

Our delivery partners include Urban Living (HCA programme) Voluntary groups Private developers Birmingham City Council and the local community National and regional agencies of Government Housing associations Advantage West Midlands

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. 1 m 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. 9 m HCA investment through the NAHP and Places for Change programmes

Unblocking Sites – Crocodile Works, Newtown § Partnership with BCC, Midland Heart and Urban Living § £ 12 m 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 growth and renewal § 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 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: § £ 400 m ‘Kickstart’ fund to unblock stalled housing projects, including – Further monies for Home. Buy Direct – Increased investment for affordable homes § £ 100 m ‘Challenge’ fund for local authorities to deliver their own social housing programmes § £ 100 m ‘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)

The HCA’s experience to deliver sustainable regeneration and growth Telford Millennium Community, East Ketley

Telford Millennium Community § § § Partnership delivery with Taylor Wimpey 750 Eco. Homes ‘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 2009 -11 Growth Point Fund £ 8 m National Affordable Housing Programme £ 30 m Property and Regeneration £ 12 m PFI - £TBC - Potential for Lyndhurst estate bid Housing Market Renewal - £ 16 m Gypsies and Travellers £ 5 m in WM (Unallocated) Places of Change - £ 5. 5 m

There are huge challenges, but by working togethere 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

Birmingham: a global city with a local Thriving communities, affordable homes