The strong delivery of new homes continues for housing provider Abri as it announces the successful completion of 900 homes in 2023/24, with 999 starts on site and 5,347 homes expected to complete in the next five years. 3,744 homes are under contract for its upcoming pipeline.
The supply of new homes puts Abri on course to meet its target of building 10,000 homes by 2030 and equates to a £2.4 billion investment to deliver new housing over its ten-year programme. To date, since April 2020, Abri has spent more than £810m on its development programme.
The 900 homes built in 2023/24 include 731 affordable homes, comprising 301 shared ownership properties and 430 homes for affordable and social rent. A further 169 homes have been built for open market sale, with Abri reinvesting any profits to deliver more affordable housing and invest in its communities. Abri’s in-house construction team has built 37 homes and has another 274 homes under construction across six sites. A further 113 staircasing completions have helped customers increase the equity in their home.
Stephen Lodge, Executive Director of Development and Strategic Asset Management at Abri said:
“Abri wants to make sure that more people have access to a good quality, warm and sustainable home. Building 900 homes last year has made a significant contribution to that goal. To continue this momentum, we have a strong pipeline that will help us meet our commitment to build more than 10,000 homes by 2030. This is all possible thanks to our colleagues and the successful collaborations with our partners.
“The need for affordable and good quality homes has never been more apparent. We’re calling on the next government to commit to a long-term plan for housing so that we can continue working together with our partners to build the homes urgently needed to strengthen communities and support our customers.”
Abri is a strategic partner of Homes England for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 and has an allocation of £250 million grant funding to deliver more affordable homes. This partnership has seen 467 completed homes, over 1,000 homes on site and a further 1,568 homes identified. In the last financial year, Abri also received planning permission to redevelop Sawyers Close in Windsor. The regeneration will see the existing buildings being demolished and 413 new high-quality affordable homes being built to help more people in housing need in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Through its partnership work, Abri is helping to deliver nearly 2,500 homes through joint ventures. This includes a recent landmark 50:50 joint venture with Vistry Group to acquire the former Ford Airfield in West Sussex, with plans to transform the site into 1,500 new homes. Abri is also working with Vistry in Mid Sussex to build 120 homes at Sayers Meadow. Other joint venture partnerships include 500 homes in Weymouth with Lovell, 619 homes at Woodgate in Pease Pottage and 139 homes at Manorwood in West Horsley with Thakeham.
Abri is also lead partner of the Wayfarer Partnership, a consortium of 18 housing associations and local authorities. The consortium helped to deliver a further 242 homes in the 2023/24 financial year across the south of England.