Wrekin Housing Trust starts work on 1000th new home in a year
The Wrekin Housing Trust has started work on its 1000th home between April 2014 and March 2015, as well as completing and making available 500 new homes in the same year.
The Trust, which is the largest provider of affordable housing in Telford and Shropshire, and the fourth largest developer of new homes in Telford & Wrekin, is providing the homes as part of its massive homebuilding programme that will see almost 3000 homes completed by 2020.
The majority of the new homes started are in Telford & Wrekin, and include an extra care scheme in Wellington catering for the older population, which has increased by a quarter over the last 10 years in Telford & Wrekin and by 21% in Shropshire.
Research shows that two thirds of Telford’s older people would be happy to live in communal schemes such as extra care and the Trust will be starting work on a further two extra care developments in the next three months in Shropshire.
As well as this, a mixture of apartments, bungalows and one to four bedroom homes are planned or have been started. Also in the past year, 500 brand new homes have been completed, including three extra care developments as well as houses and bungalows across Shropshire.
Jean Teichmann, head of the Development Team at the Trust, which won Development Team of the Year in 2014, said: “We are providing more homes in the area than any other affordable housing provider, using our own funding and grant to buy and build as many new homes as we can to meet current and future demand, as well as bringing empty homes back into use, regenerating communities and generating money and jobs for the local economy.”
The homes planned to 2020 will see almost £300 million invested in the area, generating over half a billion pounds to the economy and around 4000 jobs including over 200 apprenticeships.
