Newcastle Labour has invested £27.7 million in improvements to council-owned homes across the city during the past year.
The major capital investment programme has funded work benefiting Newcastle’s social-housing stock, helping maintain and improve homes and ensure council housing continues to provide good-quality accommodation for residents.
Newcastle City Council’s accounts for 2014/15 show £27.7 million of capital expenditure on improvements to Housing Revenue Account properties during the year.
Labour believes investment in existing council homes must remain an important part of Newcastle’s housing programme alongside work to build new affordable and specialist housing.
Maintaining and modernising existing properties helps protect homes for future generations while improving conditions for the residents who live in them today.
The investment comes alongside a wider programme to increase housing choice across Newcastle, including new affordable homes, assisted-living developments for older residents and major regeneration schemes.
During 2014/15 the council also invested in other housing-related projects, including £3 million of loans to Leazes Homes to help facilitate the construction of affordable housing and £1.7 million towards the regeneration of Scotswood.
Together, the programmes demonstrate Labour’s approach of investing both in Newcastle’s existing housing and in creating new homes and communities for the future.
Council Leader Cllr Nick Forbes said: “Our council homes are an enormously important asset for Newcastle and, most importantly, they are the homes of thousands of people and families across our city.
“That’s why Labour is continuing to invest in maintaining and improving them.
“During the last year we’ve invested £27.7 million in improvements to council properties, alongside our work to build new affordable homes and regenerate communities.
“We want every resident to have a good-quality home, and that means investing in the homes Newcastle already has as well as delivering the new housing our city needs for the future.”