Working in partnership with believe housing, we've helped unlock funding for the delivery of 115 new social and affordable homes for the region.
The homes, delivered across five sites in County Durham, represent an investment of £28.5 million, helping to meet the area’s high demand for affordable housing.
The delivery of the homes is being part-funded by Homes England, through our 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, unlocking vital funding at a critical time.
“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, most of which 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.
Earlier this year, believe housing had been ready to start work on two of the 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 Homes England has provided us with £181 million in funding to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire by 2026.
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.”
Both ourselves and believe are 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.
Working in partnership with believe housing, we've helped unlock funding for the delivery of 115 new social and affordable homes for the region.
The homes, delivered across five sites in County Durham, represent an investment of £28.5 million, helping to meet the area’s high demand for affordable housing.
The delivery of the homes is being part-funded by Homes England, through our 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, unlocking vital funding at a critical time.
“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, most of which 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.
Earlier this year, believe housing had been ready to start work on two of the 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 Homes England has provided us with £181 million in funding to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire by 2026.
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.”
Both ourselves and believe are 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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