By KLTV Newsdesk –

Mayor of West Yorkshire hails “vote of confidence” as region accelerates affordable housebuilding and regeneration

West Yorkshire’s drive to deliver affordable, sustainable housing has received a major boost, with Mayor Tracy Brabin announcing an additional £20 million for the region’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

The uplift, confirmed ahead of a full West Yorkshire Combined Authority meeting on Thursday 16 October, increases the total fund to more than £110 million and will enable the construction of hundreds of additional homes by March 2029, taking the overall delivery figure to over 6,000 homes.

Mayor Brabin welcomed the news as a significant endorsement of the region’s track record in housebuilding: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure roof over their head, and this extra funding is a strong vote of confidence in our housebuilding success.

“By regenerating brownfield land first, we’re building the right homes in the right places – affordable, cheaper-to-heat and better-connected – all while protecting our vital green spaces.

“Devolution is working for West Yorkshire, empowering us to deliver record numbers of affordable homes, to give people the security that can only start with a decent home.”

Brownfield Programme Outperforms National Expectations

The Brownfield Housing Fund, which brings together the Combined Authority, local councils, housing associations and private developers, has already been fully allocated and is on track to exceed its original delivery targets.

Government figures confirm an uplift of £21,043,998 for 2025/26, raising the minimum number of homes starting on-site to 6,240 and extending the programme through to 31 March 2029.

Major Regeneration Schemes Gaining Momentum

The boost comes on the back of national recognition for Leeds South Bank, which has been shortlisted by the Government as one of the UK’s most promising locations for a future “new town” – with around 13,000 homes envisaged in the wider masterplan.

Elsewhere, Bradford City Village and the Bradford Southern Gateway continue to form key pillars of the region’s regeneration pipeline, set to deliver new homes, jobs, public spaces and transport links in the heart of the city.

Tackling Homelessness Alongside Growth

Alongside its housebuilding ambitions, West Yorkshire has also secured £100,000 under the Government’s Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, part of a wider £84 million national effort to protect the most vulnerable this winter.

Further stability is expected through the 10-year, £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will provide long-term investment certainty for local partners from 2026/27 onwards.

A Region Delivering at Pace

Thanks to the powers of devolution, West Yorkshire has delivered more affordable homes in the past two years than at any time since the global financial crisis, and this latest funding uplift promises to build on that success.