Spring 2019 19
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BUILDING TRADITIONAL COUNCIL HOUSING We’ve started building 11 new social rent homes in Tape Lane in Hurst – the first traditional council housing built in the Borough in more than a decade. The 11 homes replace six on the site, demolished at the end of last year because they no longer met the Decent Homes Standard. The new properties will be a mix of two and three-bed houses plus a four-bed bungalow. The work is being overseen by our development company Wokingham Housing (WHL) and once completed the homes will be owned and maintained for tenants by our housing and revenue team.
Did you know? WHL has so far built 80 affordable homes across the Borough, a mixture of houses and flats, in Winnersh, Shinfield and Wokingham. Affordable home rents are at least 20% lower than the market rent of an area (i.e. the average rent for local private lettings) and include service charges. So they’re cheaper than renting privately. WHL has also built four shared ownership homes, and six more are in production. If you can’t afford the mortgage on 100% of a home, under shared ownership you buy a share of your home (between 25% and 75% of its value) and pay rent on the remaining. Later on, when you can afford to, you buy more of what’s outstanding. As for traditional council houses, in the 1980s central government made it difficult for local authorities to build them. But there are signs that this policy could be changing. More information: www.wokinghamhousing.co.uk
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOSTERS Residents at Fosters in Woodley enjoyed a cream tea and cake and musical entertainment to celebrate the independent living scheme’s very first birthday. They were joined at the party by Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr John Kaiser, his deputy Cllr Bill Soane, as well as representatives from our development company Wokingham Housing, our social and affordable housing company Loddon Homes which now manages the site, and our care provider Optalis which provides 24/7 onsite support to residents. Fosters opened its doors to its first residents in January 2018 and is now at full capacity. More information: www.loddonhomes.co.uk (0118) 908 8479
