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Local families move in to new houses in time for Christmas

Tue 06 Dec 2016
Three local families were presented with the keys to a brand new four-bedroom council house in Ferrymead Avenue, Greenford, on Monday, 5 December 2016.

The houses are the first to be completed following the launch last year of an innovative partnership between Ealing Council and UK housebuilder, Hill, that will see 294 new homes built on 22 small and medium brownfield sites in the borough.

Khandra Khalif, mum to five children, and her husband had been living in cramped temporary accommodation for several years while they waited for a permanent home. When presented with her keys, she said: “The kids are very happy to have somewhere to live which is calm and has more space and I know that they will be happy at school and will progress well.”

All London councils are currently experiencing a serious and growing problem with housing supply. The reduction in the number of homes built, rising rents and government changes to benefit rules have led to a big increase in the numbers of people being made homeless and turning to the council for help.

Many of these families are being placed in expensive, and often overcrowded, temporary accommodation while they wait for a permanent home. This project will result in more quality homes becoming available to local families.

The sites are located across the borough and come in a range of sizes. They include a number of council-owned garages that are currently underused or vacant. When complete, the project will provide 115 homes for affordable and discounted rent, including a number of large family and wheelchair accessible properties, and 179 homes for private sale.

Traditionally, these plots of land would be difficult for the council to develop, because of their small size. However, the partnership with Hill means that the sites can be batched together into viable schemes and the revenue from the private sale homes will offset the cost of building the affordable and discounted rent properties. The next set of homes is due to be completed next year.

Ealing Council is aware of the needs of those working and struggling to afford market rents, but do not qualify for a council property. It has set up a company called Broadway Living and 32 of the new properties in Ruislip Road will be offered at discounted rent; below current market rates.

Councillor Jasbir Anand, cabinet member for housing, said: "Ealing, along with other London boroughs, is facing a major housing crisis. Increasing numbers of people are turning to the council in desperate need and at the same time the number of properties available to us is shrinking. It is a constant struggle for us to help people who find themselves in really terrible situations."

"Turning these underused brownfield sites into good quality, affordable housing is part of our creative and proactive approach to tackling this crisis."

Andy Hill, chief executive at Hill, said: “Our work will maximise the value of these disused sites, which are often harder to develop, and create high quality new homes for the borough. Better collaboration between local authorities and housebuilders is essential if we are to deliver the 50,000 homes that London needs each year.”

Councillor Julian Bell and Jamie Hunter from Hill present Khandra Khalif with the keys to her new house
Councillor Julian Bell and Jamie Hunter from Hill present Khandra Khalif with the keys to her new house

Khandra Khalif and her son Muad in the kitchen of their new house
Khandra Khalif and her son Muad in the kitchen of their new house


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