THIS month, Leazes Homes announced plans to invest £1m into properties at Blucher village, near Newburn, to bring them up to Modern Homes Standards.
The announcement followed its takeover of the 91 homes which signalled its first step into the ownership of existing housing stock.
With support from partners including the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Leazes Homes, the charitable subsidiary of Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), has been steadily building up a portfolio of more than 190 properties in Newcastle since it was established in 2009.
Its primary objective is to provide high-quality, affordable accommodation to people in need and to that end it has developed a series of housing projects that cater for vulnerable groups in Newcastle including young families.
In May this year, it opened the first supported housing scheme for vulnerable young families in Newcastle. Jubilee Court, in Gosforth, is providing accommodation for those who are isolated, homeless or in need of support.
The scheme, which was developed by Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) and designed by JDDK Architects, offers tenants a chance to live independently in a supported environment with opportunities to learn new skills. Courses on offer in Jubilee Court’s communal facility include finance workshops and personal development programmes, which are designed to give tenants the confidence and skills to then move into general accommodation.
Bill Midgley, chairman of Leazes Homes, said: “We are delighted to have worked on this pioneering new development of homes for young families. A third of young people supported by YHN’s Young People’s Service are parents and it is vital that we recognise their housing need.”
Kelly Kane was one of the first tenants to move into Jubilee Court with her partner Marc Gibson and their seven-month-old daughter, Alexis.
She said: “We absolutely love it here and it seems like a great place to bring up our daughter. I’m out of work at present, but a support worker is giving me help to find a job and manage my money and we’re really positive about the future.”
A development in Throckley also enabled families to move into brand new, eco-friendly housing. The development, a partnership between YHN and Barratt Homes, provides 77 affordable homes for sale and rent.
Bill said: “There is a huge demand for family housing in the Throckley area and this development not only caters for this but also helps to forge a community spirit, improve sustainability and contribute to the long-term viability of the area.”
As well as providing accommodation for young families, Leazes Homes has worked on a number of developments which cater for elderly tenants including a scheme in Afton Way, Kenton, where it transformed a former council depot site into the home of five bungalows, specially designed to meet the needs of older people and other residents with special needs.
“This is like Buckingham Palace compared with our old house,” said a delighted tenant, Don Gibson. “It’s absolutely lovely, quiet and warm. My wife had a new knee fitted seven years ago and it was difficult for her getting up two flights of stairs, so this is much easier for her.”
Leazes Homes is continuing to look ahead to the future and it is working on a £10m project at Colwyne Place in Blakelaw, which will replace flats that were demolished earlier this year.
In total, 98 properties will be built by regeneration specialist Keepmoat Homes, of which 41 will be owned by Leazes Homes for rent to local families.
Bill said: “It’s important to be able to cater for this demand, particularly in the current climate where not many houses are being built.”
Nine of the homes will be available for shared ownership with first-time buyers and key workers such as clinical NHS staff and teachers among those to benefit from the scheme which works by allowing customers to buy their home in stages.
Bill added: “Leazes Homes is always looking at ways to support people in finding affordable accommodation and the HomeBuy scheme will enable us to help them buy outright.”
In addition to the support it offers to tenants, Leazes has created hundreds of employment and training opportunities. Since it was established it has introduced seven new and safeguarded 27 existing apprenticeships. It has also created more than 30 employment initiatives as well as 148 training initiatives for new entrants and 136 for its existing workforce.
Bill explained: “It’s vital for us to create excellent employment and training opportunities as well as high quality, affordable accommodation to tenants and other people in need.
“These objectives are being delivered through working in partnership with key organisations in the affordable housing sector such as the HCA, and with continued collaborative working we expect to provide more opportunities in the future.”
It’s important to be able to cater for this demand, particularly in the current climate