Berkshire councils have joined forces to assess and attempt to meet the housing needs of people across the county.
The Berkshire Prosperity Board, made up of the six councils in the county, was set up last summer to allow closer collaboration to tackle issues at a higher level.
Since then, staff at the six councils have been working together on major policy areas.
The leaders of the councils recently received a report on its core work streams, one of which is to meet the housing needs of people in the county.
Andrew Hunter, the executive director of Bracknell Forest Council, said: “For more social, accessible and affordable housing, that’s being led through Wokingham’s chief executive and leader and supported by Bracknell Forest Council.
“Our main priorities have been to undertake partnership development and understand the specialist needs across Berkshire.
“There’s been a fair bit of progress since last time you met with letters going to Homes England, meetings with Homes England and Homes England has been invited to the next board.
“And we’ve had the inaugural meeting of the housing offices group, which has now been formally established.
“They are working through a number of themes, in particular, how we can work together on specialist accommodation.”
Mr Hunter referred to providing housing and support for vulnerable, disabled, or elderly individuals, enabling independent living with tailored assistance.
This can include sheltered housing, extra care housing, and supported housing, which provides support for vulnerable, disabled, or elderly individuals, enabling independent living with tailored assistance.
Examples in Berkshire include 42 flats for people aged 55 plus and a day centre for people with learning disabilities under construction in Hexham Road, Reading, and the Heathlands Care Centre of 46 beds in Bracknell.
Previously, the leaders of Reading Borough Council and Bracknell Forest Council both expressed a need for more affordable family-sized homes in their towns.
Meanwhile, Clive Jones, the leader of Wokingham Borough Council from 2022-23, said people in his borough required smaller homes to downsize and retire.
Mr Jones was elected the Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham at the general election in July last year.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s housing strategy 2021-2026 has a focus on promoting health and wellbeing and supporting vulnerable residents to secure suitable accommodation.
In Slough, the Borough Council is currently reviewing its housing strategy following the expiry of its last strategy in 2021.
Homes England is the government’s housing and regeneration agency.
In Berkshire, it has assisted the Abri housing association to acquire the former Reading Driving Test Centre in Katesgrove to create 16 affordable homes.
Homes England has also helped to deliver 119 affordable flats at the former Sterling Cables site in Boundary Road, Newbury, a project that was completed in autumn last year.
Mr Hunter’s report into the prosperity board’s work streams was given at its meeting last month.
While board meetings are typically hosted at Time Square in Bracknell, the last meeting was held at the West Berkshire Council offices in Market Street, Newbury.
