Double win for Birmingham’s council houses

Birmingham City Council’s Housing department has won two national award for its Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT) programme at the Regeneration and Renewal Awards.

The team received the accolades for its council homebuilding programme beating four companies in the category of ‘Best use of Housing in Regeneration’. The council also received the special Grand Prix Award at the housing award ceremony last night.

The programme was closely scrutinised by the Regeneration and Renewal panel and the examination included the scheme’s innovative financial method used to deliver mixed tenure sites, the rationale behind the choice for certain areas and visiting various sites under development or design.

Birmingham City Council decided to take a more active role in renewing the city’s housing stock, under the local authority housing vehicle the BMHT.

Councillor John Lines, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is a very proud moment for the council and the team involved in BMHT. It means a lot to me and my colleagues who have helped to set up the largest council house building programme of its kind in over 30 years.

"Our scheme brings new modern properties to families, transforming the lives of local people and creating not only houses but homes. Our housing developments not only produce quality houses, they also create opportunities for work, which generates employment and business opportunities for local residents.”