Work starts on the 2,000th home delivered by the Matrix Housing Partnership
Work has started to build the 2,000th affordable home in a collaboration between the Matrix Housing Partnership and Homes England.
The home is being built on the Swan Lane development in West Bromwich, which will see 147 homes for affordable and social rent built in total.
We are part of the Matrix Housing Partnership which is a consortium of social landlords. It is also made up of Black Country Housing Group, Green Square Accord, Pioneer Housing and Community Group, Rooftop Housing Association and Trident Housing Association.
Homes England, a public body which funds new affordable housing, awarded the Matrix Housing Partnership £84.5million in 2018 to support the delivery of 2,124 social and affordable homes across the West Midlands.
The homes at Swan Lane will be managed by Green Square Accord, who also lead the consortium, and the event marks an important milestone for the partnership.
Our executive director of development Nick Byrne said: “It’s brilliant that we have reached this milestone in the Matrix Housing Partnership and fantastic news to provide 2,000 more affordable homes as part of the consortium.
“Despite challenges in the housing sector over the last few years, we’re so pleased to be working together with other housing associations across the West Midlands and to be providing the homes that people need.
“We’re looking forward to working with the Matrix Housing Partnership in future and building more homes together.”
The homes at Swan Lane are being constructed by MORRO Partnerships and will be built using prefabricated open-panel timber frames supplied by LoCaL Homes – a low carbon manufacturing facility based in Walsall.
Chair of Matrix Housing Partnership and chief executive of Green Square Accord, Ruth Cooke, said: “It is an honour for the Matrix Housing Partnership to be recognised as a key strategic partner of Homes England. We have been collaborating for nearly 20 years and the construction start at Swan Lane demonstrates our continued success in delivering affordable homes.
“It was fantastic to see shovels in the ground at Swan Lane. This exciting new scheme will deliver almost 150 much-needed affordable homes in West Bromwich.
“Swan Lane is a special development as it will deliver the 2000th affordable home by the Matrix Housing Partnership since we first secured strategic partner funding from Homes England in 2018. This milestone demonstrates that despite all the challenges in recent years for our sector, we can still pull together and deliver high quality homes for our communities.
“On behalf of all the Matrix Partners, I would like to thank Sandwell Council, Homes England and MORRO Partnerships for their invaluable support for this scheme.”
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and WMCA, Councillor Peter Hughes, said: “I am delighted that work is starting on this important development. Affordable housing such as this is key to tackle the housing crisis and homelessness and provide residents with a step onto the housing ladder.
“This shows Sandwell Council’s determination to achieve its Vision 2030 pledge to meet a full range of housing needs in attractive neighbourhoods and close to key transport routes.”
The Swan Lane development is well served by public transport with the Black Lake Metro stop less than 100 metres away and several popular bus routes in operation close by. The development is also located close to the George Salter Academy, several supermarkets and other conveniences in both West Bromwich and Great Bridge town centres.
In October 2021, the Matrix Housing Partnership also secured £185m from the UK Government’s Affordable Homes Programme to support a further 2,167 affordable homes which will start before April 2026.
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