Christmas comes early for resident of modernised sheltered home

The first tenant to enjoy a modernised new flat in a sheltered housing scheme has moved in just in time for Christmas.

As part of a drive to improve housing for older residents, Brighton & Hove City Council is refitting studio flats that had shared bathrooms into self-contained one bedroom flats. Modern bathrooms and open plan kitchens are also being installed as part of this programme.

Further modernisation work will be carried out at those flats out of the 20 remaining at Evelyn Court, which offers 1 and 2 bed accommodation, that require updating.

The programme follows modernisation work at another council sheltered housing scheme Sanders House which saw 13 flats modernised.

Cllr Bill Randall, chair of housing, said:

“We’re modernising our sheltered housing homes to ensure that all tenants have their own showers and kitchens if that is what they want. 

“A lot of these facilities were hard to let because people had to share bathrooms and kitchens and this meant we lost income. But now that we are modernising them they’re easy to let and so the payback on the cost of this work is short.

“The other option was to demolish the flats but if you do this you demolish the community and I didn’t want that to happen so I made this refurbishment work a priority.”

Joan, aged 82, moved into the first modernised flat at Evelyn Court last week.  She said: “I’m very pleased with the space I have in my new flat.  The kitchen is very nice, and the little lounge is marvellous, a separate bedroom and of course my own private shower which is much better.

“I’m so pleased I moved in just before Christmas because Christmas is very special day for me.  I expect I will be here for the rest of my life.”

Listen to Joan here