Record number of new affordable homes built in Dorset
Over 660 were constructed in the last financial year
A record number of affordable homes have been built in Dorset in the last year.
Dorset Council say 664 properties have gone up in the county - that's the highest figures since the unitary authority was created, in 2019.
In the year to March 2022, 529 houses and flats were constructed in Dorset.
The properties were built by Housing Associations or acquired by the Council and include houses for local key workers.
Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, lead member for Housing, said he was pleased with the progress being made:
“Rents and costs have risen steeply in the past year, which is why it is so vital that we continue to provide the right kind of affordable housing in the right place and at the right time. Affordable housing makes such a difference to so many people’s lives.
“Our Council team and Housing Associations are doing a brilliant job in getting so many homes built during these difficult times. They are continuing to look for new sites across Dorset to meet increasing demands.
“The additional homes enable the council to respond to pressures relating to homelessness, as well as providing support for people on the housing register list.”
Some of the properties are where the council has used grants and capital resources to acquire and bring empty properties back to use, such as the grade two listed building in West Street, Blandford Forum, which recently won a prestigious national innovation award.
Community groups have also come together to form Community Land Trusts to work with registered providers to provide affordable homes for local residents in villages, such as Drimpton, near Beaminster.