Here is what the page “Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare Urges Chancellor to Unlock £39bn Affordable Homes Fund Now” contains. Abena Oppong-Asare, the Labour chair of the Commons housing committee, is calling on Chancellor John Healey to release billions of pounds from the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) without delay. Housing associations have indicated they could deliver 41,000 new homes over the next decade if funding is made available sooner rather than after the election as currently planned. The plea comes amid England's deepening housing crisis, with social housing waiting lists at record levels and construction costs rising.
Oppong-Asare argues that bringing forward the investment would provide immediate economic stimulus, support jobs in the construction sector, and help meet the government's target of 1.5 million new homes. Housing associations, which build the majority of affordable homes, say they have shovel-ready projects that could start within months if funding is confirmed. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.