Yorkshire Housing has secured a £77million deal with NatWest to help develop a further 8,000 affordable homes by 2030.
We already own and manage 20,000 affordable and social rent homes across 20 local authorities and have plans to increase our portfolio by around 20% over the next eight years by providing more energy efficient homes.
The £77million NatWest funding package will also enable us to ramp up our efforts to decarbonise existing homes ahead of government targets through our sector leading retrofit scheme, which sees existing homes fitted out with sustainable technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels.
This allows us to continue to work towards our ambition to be one of the UK’s first housing associations to stop using gas heating and hot water systems in new build homes, meaning we can reduce our carbon footprint while minimising the impact of rising energy prices for customers.
We’re already helping customers with the rising cost of living, through our #HelpOut campaign which highlights where people can go for advice and support with things like bills, food, travel, and other essentials. Our money coaches are also on hand to help customers apply for other support.
Last year our Money Coaching Service supported 446 customers to access more than £1million in grants and unclaimed entitlements.
Andy Oldale, Executive Director of Finance and Governance, said: “In the midst of the current cost of living crisis, it’s more important than ever to provide affordable housing across Yorkshire. The funding from NatWest will allow us to build more homes, and will also enable us to make improve the energy efficiency of some of our existing homes to make them cheaper to live in. At a time of rising energy prices this is vital for our customers. We’re extremely grateful to NatWest for sharing our vision to support the local community and create even more affordable housing across Yorkshire.”
Andrew Dexter, Director Real Estate Finance at NatWest, said: “NatWest is dedicated to supporting our customers, colleagues and communities in Yorkshire. The amazing work that Yorkshire Housing is doing to create more affordable and sustainable homes across the region is paramount and we’ll continue to work closely with Nick and the team to provide the support they need as they continue to thrive.”