More than 450 affordable homes could be built in Shropshire in the next three years after the county was awarded £15 million.The Housing Corporation grant will pay for a variety of types of homes to help get people on the county housing ladder.

The corporation’s allocation for Shropshire, which will pay for 456 homes in the county, was announced this week under its National Affordable Housing Programme for 2008 to 2011.

It will help get hundreds of people on the first step of the housing ladder across the county including Bridgnorth, north Shropshire, Shrewsbury and Atcham, south Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

The cash is the first wave of funding for the three-year programme which will see £8.4 billion invested in new affordable homes across England.

Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: “We need more homes in every region – to ensure first-time buyers and families have decent affordable housing to buy or to rent.

Increase

“This money will go towards doubling the amount of affordable, sustainable homes being built over the next three years, and will increase the number of family-size and rural homes.”

One of the housing providers in the county, which has been provided funding is Severnside Housing, which will create almost 50 homes in the Shrewsbury area.

A spokesman for the firm said: “We have been allocated £1.8 million and this will provide about 47 homes. This is good news for Severnside and for Shrewsbury.”

Across the country the funding will help to deliver more greener, better designed homes, including larger ones for families, as well as homes for older and vulnerable people.

The homes will be targeted towards rural areas where there is a need as well as urban centres and will be a mix of affordable homes for rent and sale.

Housing Corporation chief executive Steve Douglas said: “I am delighted that Shropshire has been given this new funding to help create the extra homes that are so greatly needed by local people.”