Work underway on ‘vital’ Sunderland housing scheme

Work is underway on a much-needed supported housing scheme for residents in Sunderland. Sunderland City Council is delivering twelve new apartments for supported living on James William Street, Hendon, constructed by Yorkshire Dwellings Limited and with £420k funding support from Homes England.

The one-bedroom homes, contained within one apartment block - will be made available for rent as part of the local authority’s £59m Housing Delivery and Investment Plan (HDIP), which saw the council return to housebuilding in 2019, and begin letting homes again later that year.

The HDIP aims to provide good-quality housing for affordable rent 80 per cent of market rent - to vulnerable people across Sunderland, as well as converting empty properties into attractive family homes.

Each of the properties at James William Street, which will be completed by autumn 2023, have been designed to provide long-term accommodation, helping residents make the transition from a supported housing environment to independent living in their own property.

An additional on-site apartment will provide overnight accommodation for support staff, who will be on-hand to assist residents living in the apartments. The scheme will be low carbon and benefit from renewable energies to assist with fuel poverty.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, dynamic city cabinet member, said: “Our housing development team works hand in hand with adult services to understand the needs of the city’s vulnerable adults and older people and that insight is driving the schemes we build or buy, ensuring we have the homes needed to help everyone access housing that supports and enables them.

“I am really pleased to see work get started on these apartments at James William Street, which will help us enable more residents to live independently, with the right support available to them. Our intervention is vital in creating the dwellings that people with support requirements in this city need.”

Plans were approved for the scheme which is just off High Street East in March last year and it is the second HDIP development to progress in the East End, with phase two of Valiant Close, formerly Cork Street, set to complete later this year.

The HDIP set out plans to bring forward 193 accessible properties by 2025. It will deliver 210 general-needs homes suitable for families through conversion of empty homes across the city, and the council will place further focus on supported accommodation, designed to help people who are taking their steps towards independence or who are at risk of homelessness, targeting 171 supported homes by 2025.

So far, the council has spent or committed £23m of the £59m it has allocated for this project.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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