Transforming hidden spaces into new council homes
A former store room in a block of flats in Grove Hill, Brighton, has been transformed to provide two new council homes.
And three more projects to convert ‘hidden’ or redundant spaces at other council housing developments are underway.
It’s all part of a package of measures to provide more council homes in the city.
Structural work and a major refurbishment was carried out to convert the empty storage area at Normanhurst flats in Grove Hill into two-bedroom flats, after consultation with people living in the block and the local tenant association.
A redundant office at Swallow Court in Whitehawk is being turned into three flats; work will start soon to convert a former clinic into two extra flats at Elwyn Jones Court seniors housing scheme in Patcham; an additional seniors housing flat is being created at Woods House in Sackville Road, Hove, and more schemes are in the pipeline.
These projects follow the conversion of a redundant commercial kitchen into three flats at St James’ House, Kemp Town in 2016.
Councillor Anne Meadows, chair of the Housing and New Homes Committee, said: “We’re calling this the ‘Hidden Homes’ project and transforming neglected or redundant spaces into good quality, comfortable homes.”
“It’s one of the ways in which we are making good use of whatever space is available to provide much needed new council homes in the city.”
Other initiatives include:
- Hundreds of new council homes being built through our New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme.
- A joint venture partnership which will provide 1000 'living wage' homes for people on low incomes in the city to buy or rent.
- Conversion of a former sheltered housing scheme to provide 10 new council-owned temporary accommodation houses for homeless families.