A MULTI-million scheme to provide 14 modular homes in Thurrock has been backed by senior councillors reports by the Local Democracy Reporter.
Last year, Thurrock Council was given a £1.8million grant under the Local Authority Housing Fund by the Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.
The grant, which has to be match funded by the council, will provide ten homes for those currently in temporary accommodation and four homes for Afghan refugees under the Government’s resettlement scheme.
The homes will be built off site before being assembled in Thurrock and could be welcoming their first occupants this year.
A report to cabinet, which met on Wednesday, said: “This funding package will reduce the impact of recent arrivals on existing housing pressures, boost the amount of council accommodation for homeless people.”
Introducing the scheme, Mark Hurrell, councillor responsible for social housing, said: “I’m really pleased with this because we’re helping people who need help the most.
“This is what the council should be doing. It’s a really good start of a long exercise hopefully. The more we do the more funding we will get to increase it and help more people.”
Lynn Worrall, leader of the council welcomed the scheme. She said: “Modular homes have come so far to an untrained you wouldn’t even be able choose which was a modular home and which was a traditional build.
“They are modern and spacious and can run on next to no energy costs whatsoever. The number we’re going to be doing under this small project is not going to solve our problem but it is a step in the right direction.”
Mark Hooper, councillor responsible for health and wellbeing, said the scheme would save the council money on costly temporary accommodation. He said: “I think it’s great that we introduce modular. One of the advantages is how quickly we can build them.
“We have something like 600 people or families in temporary accommodation and we will save a lot of money on temporary accommodation if we can get these built quickly and we will save tens of thousands of pounds off our homeless budget which is good value for the people of Thurrock.”
