THREE affordable housing projects which aim to produce “homes for the future” have been announced in Gwent.

Schemes in Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly are among 22 across the country which form the Welsh Government’s Innovate Housing Programme.

It is hoped the pilot developments will inform housing associations and local authorities about the types of homes that should be built to address supply and environmental demands.

The quality of the proposed schemes has seen funding increased from an initial £10 million per year across two years to nearly £19 million for this year alone.

The largest development in Gwent will be the 38-home Caerphilly Magistrate Court scheme in Caerphilly, which will be the first in Wales to be built using Passivhaus’ “fabric first approach” standard.

In Torfaen, the Ty Rosser Gwyn will offer 12 homes built using three alternative methods – Modcell (straw and hemp), Wiki house (locally-sourced timber frame) and SIPS (structurally insulated panel).

The eight homes at the Elm & Park Road scheme in Monmouthshire will be built using flexible design suited to constricted sites such as redundant garages.

All of the proposed projects will contribute to the Welsh Government’s goal of providing 20,000 affordable homes by 2021.

Communities and children secretary Carl Sargeant believes the homes on offer with the programme will “unlock massive opportunities” for growth and innovation in housing.

Speaking today, he said: “The housing sector in Wales is facing many challenges.

“Increasing the number of homes available, the rate at which they’re delivered and their affordability, while reducing their impact on the environment are the most obvious.

“The projects funded by the Innovative Housing Programme will help us learn what works best and why, both in terms of what we build and how we build them.

“Building homes delivers important benefits beyond simply putting a roof over people’s heads.

“Alongside the well-documented health and education benefits that good quality housing provides for children and families, building homes of all tenures has a significant positive impact on the Welsh economy and on our communities.”