AS the days turn colder and shorter I’m sure many of you, like me, are glad when you get back to the comfort of home of an evening.
Good homes build communities, and that’s why I’m incredibly excited by our new Future Places Fund.
It’s the combined authority’s biggest single investment so far, at £130 million, and will help build thousands of new homes while tackling the housing crisis.
This fund is huge news for the West of England, as it’s anticipated to grow our economy by up to £1 billion, creating and supporting 1,200 jobs a year in construction.
It will also open up opportunities for more investment into our cities, towns and villages.
With all this exciting development happening – including in places like Bristol Temple Quarter and Brabazon & the West Innovation Arc – we need even more skilled workers to help us put plans into action.
So, over the next three years we will also be injecting £11.5m to boost technical training, with a focus on much-needed construction skills.
Thousands of new places at colleges in our region will see on-site placements for students, alongside masterclasses from qualified trade professionals.
With tens of thousands of new homes needed in our region, we have to take this chance to help people build careers, as well as homes.
As we face colder winters and hotter summers, it’s important that our infrastructure is prepared too.
Now the West of England has been promoted to the top tier of regions, we are unlocking new funding and opportunities through devolution.
This includes the regional delivery of the Warm Homes Plan. This is great news as it will ultimately mean more comfortable homes for residents, cheaper bills, and more job opportunities in retrofitting houses with insulation and green technology.
As Christmas and the colder months approach, I particularly want to highlight our work with charities and partners to tackle rough sleeping.
The government has allocated £12.3m for the West of England for the next three years to help get people off the streets.
This new funding will help provide safe, warm places for those most vulnerable as we head into the winter.
This year, almost £3m will be allocated to local councils, who are working alongside the brilliant charities and community groups across our region as we look to offer accommodation to everyone sleeping rough by Christmas – in line with a pledge made by the Prime Minister.
This is not just about helping people off the streets but giving them the support they need to move forward. Working together will help us to develop local solutions in our region as we work to end rough sleeping for good.
On housing, and so much more besides, there is plenty to be hopeful about and to look forward to in the West of England.