The Homes and Communities Agency is an executive non-departmental public body that is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. It provides several important functions. One of key aims of the HCA is to help to create successful and thriving communities. It does this by making more new homes and business premises available to local residents and businesses across the country, and particularly by making new housing more accessible to first time buyers.
The HCA has played a pivotal role in giving housing developers the opportunity to deliver new homes which are much needed in many regions of the country. Although the economic outlook is now generally positive since the financial crash of 2008 developers have found that banks have become cautious when it comes to providing the necessary finance for SMEs.
The Homes and Communities Agency is a welcome alternative. By offering various funding packages to developers and building contractors more new homes are now being delivered at a faster rate.
B & E Boys certainly would not be building the number of houses we are today without HCA funding, such as the Whinberry Place development. The HCA has been vital in enabling companies such as Boys to focus on addressing the need for new homes in the region.
During the Whinberry Place visit, the HCA were keen to hear our thoughts on our experience as an SME working with the Homes and Communities Agency. The visiting party also included Stuart Sage, Head of Public Sector Land for the North West, and HCA Head of Area Manager, Phil Collings. They were very interested in hearing our thoughts on how the HCA might encourage engagement with SMEs in relation to land disposals and accelerated construction activities. Another point of discussion during the visit was Boys’ reflections on the HCA’s development finance products.
Sir Edward Lister has considerable experience in facilitating large-scale urban regeneration schemes which are so important for local communities. He also has a highly successful background in coordinating major partnerships between the public and private sectors. His previous positions include Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London and Chairman of London and Partners – the agency responsible for inward investment to London and tourism.
We are proud of our relationship with the HCA and hope that we can continue to work together in the future by building the new homes that local communities need and deserve.