Conservative-run Dacorum is going back to the future with the borough’s first direct investment in council housing in more than 20 years.
The borough’s Cabinet agreed on Tuesday to invest £14million in building more than 70 new council homes and a hostel for local homeless in the next three years.
Councillor Margaret Griffiths, the borough’s housing chief, said: “This is just the start of ongoing plans to build more much-needed affordable housing in Dacorum.
“We know there is a big demand for affordable housing within our borough and we are making it a priority to provide new homes for people who really need it.
“It is essential that we are able to provide new homes to give local people a chance for a decent future in the borough and with these new homes and our plans for a homeless hostel we hope to make a difference to more people’s lives.”
The council will get £1.5million from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) towards the cost.
The proposed new housing developments are planned for three different sites. These are Farm Place, Northchurch, London Road, Apsley and Galley Hill in Gadebridge.
The homeless hostel is proposed for The Elms site, adjacent to Cupid Green Depot in Hemel Hempstead.
Councillors were told that it is hoped that the hostel would be a partnership with a local organisation. The council is in talks with DENS and Druglink.
The proposed schemes are subject to procurement and legal processes, planning permission, and are estimated to be completed in the spring of 2015.
Councillor Terry Douris said homes in Galley Hill would be a “flagship of energy efficiency” which the council should be “really proud of.”