Platform Housing new development, Phoenix Road off Swineshead Road, Wyberton Fen, Boston

Many families have moved into their new affordable homes across the Borough of Boston this past 12 months marking a total of 142 completed new affordable homes, helping to tackle the housing shortage across the borough this past year. That is a new affordable home every 2.57 days.

As part of our ambitions highlighted in our Corporate Strategy to invest and support growth to meet local housing needs by co-funding affordable housing delivery we are doing just that.

Working with partners such as Platform Housing, Longhurst Group, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership, Framework and Homes England these new homes have been completed to a high standard and the recent completions in 2020/21 typically only produce 1.3 tonnes of CO2 compared to the average of 6 tonnes of CO2 working with local contractors to reduce carbon footprints part of our aim to become net zero carbon in advance of the timetable declared by UK Parliament.

As part of ongoing developments we are working in partnership to have more than 180 new affordable homes completed on site in 2021/22.

Michelle Howard, Assistant Director for Housing and Communities at Boston Borough Council, said: “We are pleased with the strength of the partnership working we have in the borough with our wide range of partners, this is key to our corporate aims to provide a place where people can thrive in their local communities, feel safe, secure, healthy and welcome. We will continue to work with these partners to deliver new affordable homes to help to tackle housing need.

“We are taking a proactive and positive approach to supporting communities across the borough. There continues to be demand and need for local affordable homes and we will continue to work with our partners to enable a supply of new affordable homes for those who need them”

Cllr Martin Griggs Portfolio Holder for Housing at Boston Borough Council, said: “It is great news for local families and people across the borough this amount of new homes has become available over the past year, for people who were in desperate need of affordable housing.

“We have a strong working partnership and welcome its commitment to the people of the borough. The lack of housing options for local people is one of the main challenges many countries face today and I am confident that the borough is making a positive difference to the sustainability of our communities, in terms of local housing, jobs and opportunities.”

Jessica Downes, one of our residents who has recently moved into one of the 142 new affordable homes said: “Being Boston born and bred I was desperate to stay in the borough and raise my son here close to his family. I was previously private renting and with the landlord selling up I was given notice that I needed to move. The house prices are very expensive so I registered for social housing with my local council and was offered and accepted this new build which I have recently moved in to allowing me to stay in Boston to be close to my family and friends and of course keep my job. I am so pleased to I have a comfortable home, at an affordable price within a community that’s most important to me.”