Housing Minister John Healey on Wednesday approved the construction of more than 2,000 council homes, a move that will create some 5,000 jobs in Britian's construction industry.

Forty seven councils around Britain will receive a share of 127million pounds (about 203.2 million U.S. dollars) of government funding, the largest investment in housing for two decades. The councils will match that funding, bringing the total amount to more than 250 million pounds (400 million dollars).

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the social project, the biggest in almost 20 years, would mean "energy efficient, affordable homes for thousands of families," and a boost for construction workers.

The social program is a key part of the British government's plan to continue to invest through the downturn to boost the country's economy.

"We now need councils to move fast and make the best possible use of this investment, so that together we can meet local housing needs and support the house building industry," Brown said.

The investment is part of Brown's 1.5-billion-pound (2.4-billion-dollar) housing pledge announced in the campaign of Building Britain's Future in June.

Healey said construction will begin on the first houses before the end of the year.

"This boost for affordable housing will help build the homes we need and it's also a shot in the arm for the construction industry creating over 5,000 jobs," Healey said. "And built to some of the toughest ever standards, this is good for the environment and means lower fuel bills for the families who live in them."

Healey said the cash injection, along with plans to give councils greater control of their housing finances and more leeway in how they run their waiting lists, will mean councils are "better placed to meet the housing needs of their communities."

Source: Xinhua