West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has been welcomed plans to build better homes across the country with £12 billion of Government support.

The fund will support local councils, housing associations and private contractors to build up to 180,000 new affordable homes with ten per cent aimed at helping people with physical or mental health challenges.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick today unveiled a new model for shared ownership to help more people onto the property ladder by vastly reducing the minimum initial share.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is also planning a consultation to consider how best to raise accessibility standards for all new homes in recognition of the importance of suitable homes for older and disabled people.

Harriett said: “This investment will help more people to take the first step on the housing ladder.

“One of the consistent questions I get from school children and students is how they will be able to live and work in the area where they grew up and I support this initiative to make property ownership possible for many more local people.

“I’m also particularly keen to see the detail on the consultation looking at what housing we need to invest in for the future.

“I am a huge fan of extra care housing and I feel that we need much more of these kind of developments as we deal with the challenges of an ageing population which lives much longer.

“There are a number of excellent extra care housing developments in West Worcestershire and I would like to see developers and housing associations plan for more provision locally.”