Trust pledges to improve dated Sheltered Housing schemes
Maidstone Housing Trust will be spending £9.5m over the next two years to improve homes for older people in the area. The Trust owns and manages fifteen Sheltered Housing schemes in the Maidstone district. The plans affect five schemes which currently offer bed-sit and shared bathroom facilities for residents.
Following a pilot project, the Trust will be converting and refurbishing bed-sits at Lenham House, Lenham, and Harbledown House, Barming, to provide high quality self-contained flats. George Marsham House in Loose, Bethersden Court in Senacre and Finch Court in Ringlestone are not suitable for conversion; residents in these properties will be moved to other homes with better facilities.
Maidstone Housing Trust made a commitment to Maidstone Borough Council to deal with the shared bathrooms and bed-sits when the properties transferred from the Council to the Trust in 2004.
Rose Ellison, Head of Support Services, said “We have a moral duty to provide the best homes possible for our residents. We feel it is unacceptable for older people to share bathrooms, and we are determined to offer more, for our customers now and in the future”.
Meetings have been held with all residents in the sheltered schemes affected and interviews are now being held to discuss individual needs when moving. Friends and family members have also been involved. The Trust will assist residents with the move, including packing and removals, and the level of continued support they receive will not change.
The Trust intends to dispose of the land from the outdated homes and develop new housing for older people. Chris Blundell, Director of Regeneration and Asset Management said “We know overall the population is aging. There is an increasing demand for bungalows for more independent living arrangements for older people. We are also making sure our more traditional sheltered housing schemes are up to standard”.
An information leaflet 'Better Homes for Older People' has been published. (This is a PDF file and will open in a new window)
date published: 06/07/2007