The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, announced a £690m scheme today to support key workers in front line roles in key public services in London and the South East and East of England.

Nurses, teachers and a wide range of other public sector workers will get help with buying or renting a home as part of the scheme.

This new ‘key worker living’ programme aims to help people working in front line roles in key public services in London and the South East and East of England, where house prices are high and it can be difficult to recruit staff.

The scheme will offer different kinds of help, including:

• Equity loans of up to £50,000 towards buying a home
• Higher loans of up to £100,000 for top London teachers
• Shared ownership of new properties
• 'Intermediate renting', where the rent is set at a level between that charged by social and private landlords

The scheme follows on from the Starter Home Initiative, which the government says is on track to make more than 9,000 key workers home owners by the end of this month.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said housing is one of the government's priorities. "We are determined to make a difference in the performance of our schools and hospitals and help those working in community safety," he said.

The workers who could get help are:

• Nurses and other NHS clinical staff.
• Teachers in schools and in further education and sixth form colleges.
• Police officers and some civilian staff. ? Prison and probation service staff.
• Social workers, educational psychologists, planners (in London) and occupational therapists employed by local authorities.
• Whole-time junior fire officers and retained fire fighters (all grades) in some fire and rescue services.