THE district is set to get a share of hundreds of new affordable homes with the aid of Government grants to local housing association Hightown Praetorian. In an announcement from the Government agency, the Housing Corporation, Hightown has been named as

THE district is set to get a share of hundreds of new affordable homes with the aid of Government grants to local housing association Hightown Praetorian.

In an announcement from the Government agency, the Housing Corporation, Hightown has been named as one of 90 organisations nationally who will receive funding in the 2008-2011 period.

Hightown Chairman Mike Bailey said: "We are pleased to have been reselected as a Lead Development Partner for the next three years. We expect to access Government grant to build at least 300 affordable homes each year to help people who cannot afford to buy or rent at market prices."

The Housing Corporation has set aside £8.4 billion nationally to fund affordable housing in the period 2008-2011 to be made available in tranches.

Development partners like Hightown, which provides homes all over the county, will be able to bid for new projects as they come along during the three years.

So far the only scheme for which Hightown has assigned the new funding in St Albans is the Oaklands scheme where it has been allocated £2,310,000 for 84 homes.

Hightown chief executive David Bogle said: "We already have funding from the Housing Corporation for the City Station car park scheme - currently under construction by Linden Homes - where there will be 107 affordable homes."

He added that Hightown had recently completed a scheme of three houses in Smallford for rent and another of three houses for rent and two flats for shared ownership off Keswick Close in St Albans.