Integrate has been awarded in excess of £29m to develop new affordable housing for the people of Wales.

The Social Housing Grant, awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government, will result in the building of over 1,000 new homes including some major urban renewal and regeneration schemes in Swansea and Cardiff.

Kevin Prothero, a spokesperson for Integrate, said: “This is an exciting time for Integrate and we are looking forward to working closely with local authorities across Wales to meet the housing needs of local people. Being awarded a funding allocation of this size is testament to the successful work the consortium has already done across Wales and our emphasis on quality homes that people can afford to rent or buy.

“There is generally a shortage of good quality rented accommodation and with property prices still on the rise it’s becoming more difficult for first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder. This development work is crucial to ensure that housing need is met and we are extremely confident of delivering the programme.”

The housing programme contains over 63 separate developments. They will include apartments and housing spread across eight local authority areas in South and West Wales. In addition, the programme will include a number of supported housing projects such as homeless hostels and bungalows for people with learning disabilities.

In addition to the £29m social housing grant from the Assembly, the Integrate consortium members will also contribute in excess of £20m between them towards the housing programme.

Jocelyn Davies, Deputy Minister for Housing, said: “Affordable housing is a priority for the Welsh Assembly Government and our agenda for governance, the 'One Wales' document, sets out a commitment to deliver 6,500 units of affordable housing over the next four years. This was matched by a commitment to increase spending to £450 million over the lifetime of the administration.”

Housing will be provided to rent but also to buy through ‘Homes within Reach’, a low cost home ownership scheme that helps first-time buyers get a foot on the housing ladder. It works on an equity-shared basis with homebuyers having to purchase 55% - 70% of the property. ‘Homes within Reach’ has already helped many first-time buyers and this funding will ensure many more are helped in the future.