Affordable housing
‘has huge
benefits to economy’

Research by academics at Sheffield Hallam University found that affordable housing providers support more than 30,000 jobs both directly and through their spending.

Their report also lends fresh backing to the argument that Government investment in new homes in the North would help kickstart the regional economy while tackling the country’s housing crisis.

Professor Paul Lawless, of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “It’s clear from our findings that affordable housing is big business in the North.

“The scale and scope of activity conducted by housing organisations would surprise many people. What’s important to note from our study is the additional value created by housing – activities like repairs and construction create big economic impacts which ripple out into the wider northern economy.”

The report will be launched formally at an event in Leeds tomorrow.

Jo Boaden, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium which commissioned the research, said: “This study demonstrates the jobs and value created by affordable housing in the North.

“But we could do more – our study has shown that for every £1m government invests in housing in the North, we can create 51 additional jobs.

“The outcomes of this study show that housing organisations really are local engines for growth and are capable of generating and sustaining wider economic growth, if supported and funded appropriately.”