MORE affordable homes will be available in West Oxfordshire after an increase in Government funding.

Last summer, West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) agreed with Heylo Housing that up to 34 shared ownership properties would be made available using Section 106 funding and Government-backed Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal grant funds.

Now, that figure has risen to 43 homes after the Growth Deal funding was extended from £850,000 to £1.4 million.

The houses will be situated at the Crest Nicholson and Vistry developments in Witney and Minster Lovell.

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Murry Burnett, strategic housing and development officer at WODC, said: “This extra funding means we can provide more affordable homes for residents through this innovative scheme.

“The provision of affordable homes is a key priority for the council and we will continue to work with providers such as Heylo Housing to increase the availability of affordable housing in the district.”

The scheme sees applicants agree to buy an initial share of a house, with rent then paid on the remainder.

More shares can be bought in the property until it is owned by the resident outright.

Wayne Bennett, national home reach director at Heylo Homes, added: “We believe this partnership is key to enabling local buyers to get onto the property ladder, with smaller deposits and household income requirements making purchasing a property more affordable.”