Home-building to be kick-started

Hundreds of stalled developments have been shortlisted for a share of a £925 million pot to help restart housing construction that has been stopped by the downturn. John Healey, housing minister, said yesterday that 270 schemes had been shortlisted as part of the ‘Kickstart’ programme. The projects have been identified by the Homes and Communities Agency, and are hoped to end in the building of 22,400 homes and the creation of 20,000 jobs. The government expects almost half the money to be repaid within five years, with more than a third to go to housing associations and less than one-fifth to support developers.