Developers urged to apply for millions in funding to help get new housing schemes underway
The region’s smaller developers have been urged to consider applying for millions of pounds of funding to help get their housing schemes underway.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is keen to see more developers take advantage of the financial support on offer to help build the affordable homes needed to tackle the region’s housing crisis.
Around £57m has been secured by the WMCA alongside existing funding for the coming year to help developers build new homes on derelict industrial land and other vacant urban sites.
Developers typically find building on such sites too difficult or expensive to undertake on their own because of the high cost of cleaning up the land.
The housing funds available to developers help reduce that cost, unlocking schemes that not only increase the number of new homes for local people but also drive jobs and economic growth.
Max Abbott, the WMCA’s head of development and delivery, said: “If you have a housing scheme of 10 homes or more but are struggling to make it work financially then I would encourage you to get in touch and see if we can help make your vision a reality.
“There are thousands of vacant urban sites, many of them derelict eyesores, crying out for redevelopment at a time when we face an acute shortage of homes that are genuinely affordable for local people.
“This is an opportunity for private developers to secure the support they need to get spades in the ground and help tackle our region’s housing crisis, changing thousands of lives for the better.”
Since 2018, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has awarded around £159m to private and public sector developers, unlocking more than 8,500 new homes, mostly on derelict industrial sites, often referred to as brownfield land.
And since taking office in May 2024, Mayor Richard Parker has focused WMCA funds on building more affordable housing, in particular social rent – the most affordable type of home.
The shortage of such properties means there are now 65,335 households across the region on social housing waiting lists with 7,450 households, including 14,976 children, currently living in temporary accommodation.
The Mayor’s drive to kickstart the biggest social housing programme the region has seen in decades has already won the support of government, which recently announced up to £1.7bn for the region’s 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme starting this April. That could see at least 10,000 affordable new homes built across the West Midlands over the coming decade.
And in October 2025, the Mayor announced his new £40m Social Housing Accelerator Fund, releasing extra money to be used for social rent properties by cutting red tape surrounding existing WMCA housing funds.
That money will be used to convert 1,000 properties that are ready for occupation, under construction or soon-to-be-built, over to social rent homes.
Those will be on top of over 750 social rent homes already unlocked since the Mayor took office as part of his ongoing ‘Homes for Everyone’ priority.