The government is finally set to release the remainder of its long-delayed housing PFI budget.

In December, the communities department announced that it would give the go-ahead to two housing PFI projects worth £200m.

However, it held back on allocating the remainder of the £500m that had been budgeted for this year’s round of the housing PFI.

According to sources close to the process, officials from the communities department have said the remainder of the fifth-round cash will soon be released.

Leeds council was told in December that it was first on the reserve list for any extra housing money that became available.

Last week, the Wates-led Affinity consortium announced that it had completed the first social housing PFI refurbishment scheme at the 1,336 home North Whitley estate in Reading.