A "SEISMIC" change is set to shake up the housing market in south Cumbria, with millions of pounds being made available to build affordable housing.

With more than 3,000 people on South Lakeland District Council's waiting list for a home, drastic action has been taken to tackle the district's housing crisis.

On Wednesday (December 13) the council's cabinet met to approve the creation of a £6m loan fund which local housing associations could access. It is hoped with this financial support new homes can be built to give younger people a leg up onto the property ladder.


Cllr Jonathan Brook, housing and innovation portfolio holder for SLDC, said: "It is an innovative approach. We've been trying to encourage affordable housing development in the district for a number of years."

He said the number of people waiting for housing was "substantially high" and that to bring that figure down new schemes had to be trialled.

"We're pleased to be at the forefront of exploring new models [of housing]," he continued.

South Lakes Housing, a non-profit housing association based in Ulverston, would be one of the groups who could take advantage of the loan scheme.

John Mansergh, assistant director for SLH, said: "It will start with £6m. It has the potential to be a seismic change."

Parcels of land previously off limits to groups such as SLH because the land was too expensive, or construction was not financially viable, could be opened up for development.

Mr Mansergh said: "Building six or seven houses on a parcel of land in a rural area is costly.

"But if you can put some subsidy or grant or through this scheme it makes little schemes like that stack up."

Cllr Brook indicated there would be discussions in the New Year about potential development sites, and he hoped houses could be built within 12 to 18 months.