Funding boost extends warm homes drive

A North East housing provider has secured further investment to improve the energy efficiency of homes occupied by vulnerable residents.

Tyne Housing, which supports people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, has received additional backing through the Government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund following the first year of its retrofit programme.

The work forms part of an £8.3 million, three-year scheme being delivered by a consortium of five North East housing providers with support from procurement and collaboration specialist Prosper.

Funding is being provided by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, delivered through the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub.

Tyne Housing has also secured £423,186.92 in supplementary solar funding, enabling solar panels and/or battery systems to be installed in at least 32 homes.

Further properties will benefit from improvements during the programme’s second year, with measures tailored according to their age and individual requirements.

These could include cavity wall, loft and ceiling insulation, solar panels, heating controls, replacement glazing, air-source heat pumps and low-carbon lighting.

Officials say the work will help create warmer and healthier homes while reducing energy consumption and passing savings on to residents.

Lower future maintenance costs are also expected to allow Tyne Housing to direct more resources towards its wider support for vulnerable people.

Steve McKinlay, chief executive of Tyne Housing, said: “Securing this additional funding is a fantastic endorsement of the work our teams and partners have done over the past year, rolling out the first phase of this project. 

“Achieving all our Year 1 targets meant we were eligible to bid for further investment, and we’re delighted this has now been approved.

“Through the programme, we’re making real improvements to our housing stock, which will help some of the most vulnerable residents stay warm and live a better life. 

“The additional funding means we can extend those benefits to even more homes across Tyneside.”

The national Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 is a £1.29 billion programme targeting social housing currently below Energy Performance Certificate band C.

It aims to improve residents’ comfort, health and wellbeing while cutting carbon emissions and supporting growth in the retrofit and green jobs sectors.

Karen Oliver Spry, manager of the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, added: “Securing this funding is a result of consortium partners’ delivery to date and demonstrates the scale of ambition across the North East and Yorkshire to improve social housing, reduce carbon emissions, and support residents to live in warmer, healthier homes.

“With this latest funding allocation, the programme will now support the upgrade of more than 11,000 social homes across the region – taking the total of Hub supported homes close to 20,000 – helping residents benefit from improved comfort, better health and wellbeing, lower energy consumption, and potential savings on household energy bills.

“The programme will also support wider net-zero ambitions while creating opportunities for local supply chains and the retrofit sector across the region.”

Residents whose properties have been selected for the second year of improvements will be contacted directly by Tyne Housing with details of the planned work.

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