Member Article

Housing schemes reach completion following Housing & Care 21 partnership with Sunderland City Council

Three retirement housing schemes have been completed in Sunderland, following a partnership between Housing & Care 21 and Sunderland City Council.

Each scheme provides modern accommodation for sale and for rent, available for people aged 55 and over who want to downsize, and for those who have a care and support need, including those with disability and with a dementia diagnosis.

Representatives from Housing & Care 21, Sunderland City Council and developers Keepmoat joined together on Wednesday 18 March to celebrate this milestone in the ambitious development programme.

It marked the completion of the final phase at Dovecote Meadow, which is located in Ford Estate.

Dovecote Meadow provides 175 modern two-bedroom self contained apartments, with care services on-site and a range of communal facilities. It was recently shortlisted in the 2015 Housing Innovation Awards. The newly completed final phase includes apartments and communal areas specially designed for people living with dementia.

Housing & Care 21 has also recently completed development of Keelboat Lodge, an Extra Care scheme in Hendon, and a development of retirement bungalows in Bardolph Drive, Southwick.

In total, Housing & Care 21 has developed 470 properties across seven schemes since 2009. It brings with it a capital investment of £74m into Sunderland.

Each scheme creates work in the construction industry, apprenticeship opportunities and for trade suppliers and sub-contractors.

Longer term, the housing schemes require management staff, operational care and support services and maintenance service provision. Housing & Care 21 calculates that so far, it alone has created just under 240 jobs through the programme. That figure is due to rise to a minimum of 360 jobs when the programme is complete and recruitment finishes early in 2016.

Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said that the amount of investment in a single programme in Sunderland was ‘unprecedented’.

“For one key partner to invest over £70m into our city and into our communities demonstrates exactly what can be achieved by working in a true partnership approach,” he added.

“We always knew that the Extra Care housing programme was a good model to be introduced into Sunderland.

“It is providing a wider housing choice to our older households, while releasing under occupied family homes back into the wider housing market.

“However, I am proud that this programme is also creating new jobs, new training opportunities and has provided a significant employment boost to the city. This is great news for our city, our communities and our economy.”