A £1 MILLION affordable housing boost has been announced for York.

The partnership project between City of York Council, Home Housing Association and builders Southdale Homes will bring 18 affordable new homes for rent to the Clifton area of the city.

Clifton councillor Ken King said he hoped this would be the first of many housing improvements in his ward.

The Labour member said: "We see this project as a first step to enhancing the whole area.

"We are continuing to press the council for further improvements to the roads, footpaths and environment. With support from the community, I hope we can continue to achieve real change for the better."

The new homes will be ready by June of this year, and will be owned and managed by Home Housing Association.

The council's housing department has worked on the scheme with its two partners for the last three years.

The new homes are being built on land in the Peter Hill Drive area, behind the site of two blocks of flats demolished in early 2004, after the original tenants had been rehoused.

The Housing Corporation allocated priority funding of £1,105,393 to make the acquisition of the land possible, and to fund the building costs.

The site now boasts 18 family-sized homes, with a range of two, three and four bedroom houses.

Ged Walsh, senior development manager with Home Housing Association, said: "The scheme lay-out is quite complicated and, as a result, residents have had to put up with considerable disruption during the building works.

"Residents have been very understanding and we hope that the completed scheme will be a credit to the area and help to stamp out incidences of antisocial behaviour that used to occur on the original open space."

Work started in spring of last year, with demolition, clearance and work to the new road lay-out. The homes will be allocated to people who are eligible to be on the council's waiting list and are being let through a "local lettings" approach.

Priority will be given to applications from those who:

Have a local connection with the area (i.e already live or work in Clifton)

Have a close relative living in the area

Are in housing need, and registered or eligible to register on City of York Council's housing list.

Application forms and further information are available from Home Housing's York office at 131 Brailsford Crescent, Water Lane, York, or by phoning 01904 692797.

Alternatively, you can contact City of York Council's Allocations Team at 10-12 George Hudson Street, York or by phoning 01904 554044 or 01904 554041.

The deadline for the return of completed applications is Friday, May 20, and these must be marked for the attention of Dominic Richardson and sent to Allocations Team, 10-12 George Hudson, York, Y01 6ZE.

Updated: 09:54 Friday, April 15, 2005