The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has surpassed housing and jobs targets set in the first year of devolution, according to figures released by the authority.
Key achievements in 2025/26
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said data for the first year of the WMCA's Integrated Settlement showed the region could be 'trusted to deliver'. In 2025/26, the region was one of two in the country to receive the first settlement of around £389 million, granting it more powers over key services.
With that settlement came government-set targets. Had they not been met, money could have been claimed back and reduced funding awarded in the future.
Job creation and business support
WMCA created 2,925 high growth sector jobs in 2025/26, well above the government's target of 995. A total of 10,117 businesses received support against the government target of 4,275. The government also set a target of providing employment support to 2,740 individuals, and WMCA said it reached 8,200 people.
Housing delivery
WMCA was tasked with providing funding for the construction of at least 6,800 homes in the last financial year. The data showed projects for a total of 7,237 houses had been 'signed off' in 2025/26.
Mr Parker said: 'For years people across the West Midlands were promised the world and saw too little of it on the ground. Homes that never got built. Jobs that simply weren't there. A lack of opportunity. I came into this job determined to change that, and these figures show what changes when a region is trusted to deliver.'
Mayor's reaction
'We were set tough targets by government, and we have gone well past them. Nearly three times the jobs we promised in our priority sectors. More than double the businesses we set out to support. Thousands more people helped closer to work than we ever committed to. Thousands of families in new homes. These simply are not numbers on a page – we are changing lives,' he added.
'Last year I launched my West Midlands Growth Plan – and we're showing now that we're truly delivering against it. Housing is where the difference is clearest and where we've made huge progress. In the two years before I took office just 93 homes were delivered. That is not good enough for a region this size, and the people who needed those homes deserve better. We are now getting the diggers in the ground and the spades in the soil – signing off on 7,237 new homes last year. Everyone deserves a safe and secure home – it is the start of someone's life.'
'This is a region that has found its stride. Ready to be trusted with more, ready for the next stage of devolution and ready to keep delivering for the people who live here.'
