More than 50,000 affordable homes will be built in Greater Manchester by 2038 under new plans to tackle the region's "housing crisis". The revised plans come after huge protests over a previous proposal for 225,000 new properties. Mayor Andy Burnham said 30,000 of the 50,000 new homes would be social housing. He also announced a number of transport plans, including the expansion of the Metrolink tram system. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has agreed to support the house-building using surpluses from its £300m Housing Investment Loan Fund.   Other proposals of part of the new "spatial framework" include: The release of brownfield sites for developmentMore homes in town centresRedevelopment of transport interchanges in Tameside and StockportExpansion of the Metrolink tram network to Stalybridge, Middleton and Salford StadiumVehicles that can be used on both tram and train lines, similar to a scheme in South YorkshireDevelopment of Salford Central station The 2016 consultation on the housing plan drew 27,000 responses and led to demonstrators marching against proposed greenbelt development. But Mr Burnham said officials had "listened carefully" to the public this time around. "Planning will always be a difficult question of striking a balance between creating new homes and jobs and protecting the environment," he said. Green beltIn the revised planning document, GMCA said: "Greater Manchester is facing a housing crisis. It is adversely affected by the broken housing market that afflicts the country as a whole." The rewritten strategy will be considered formally by GMCA on Friday. If approved, it will be subject to public consultation. Criticism of previous plans included concerns over the affordability of homes, transport congestion and development of green sites instead of brownfield land. Green belt forms 47% of Greater Manchester but this would reduce to 45% if the revised proposals are implemented, GMCA said. AFP.