B&NES creates new homes thanks to Government grant
Bath & North East Somerset Council is building 22 Government-funded properties as part of a national resettlement scheme.
Afghan and Ukrainian families fleeing conflict are set to move into the first seven of the homes which will provide short-term accommodation for families displaced by war.
The Council is working with its development company, Aequus Developments, to create the dwellings, having received £3.04m from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Local Authority Housing Fund.
The decision to proceed with the project was made at a Full Council meeting in March 2023, with the money being awarded on the condition that the properties will be used to provide homes for families fleeing conflict via the Ukrainian and Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes.
Once there is no further need to house these families, the homes will be permanently available on the Council’s housing register
The first seven properties have been acquired and work is under way to complete the purchase of the remaining 15. Families have now started moving into their new homes in locations close to amenities across Bath and North East Somerset.
Councillor Deborah Collins, Cabinet Project Lead and Leader for Built Environment & Sustainable Development, said, “Many residents have been hosting families fleeing the conflict in Ukraine since 2022, so the availability of these properties means displaced families will have a home to call their own which is great for them and at the same time host families will get their spare rooms back.
“It is also good in the long term because it has allowed the council to increase its housing stock which for many years to come, will be available to individuals and families on our waiting list once Ukrainians and Afghans, on approved resettlement schemes, either return home or move on to other accommodation of their choosing.”
Charles Gerrish, Chair of Aequus, said, “Bath & North East Somerset Council has a strong record in supporting families fleeing conflict and has welcomed many Ukrainian guests. We are delighted to be working on this scheme which will eventually see 22 properties turned into homes for displaced families and boost the council’s housing stock.”
