New key worker housing and council homes are set to be provided by Croydon Council under proposals due before cabinet this month.
Council plans to purchase 119 new homes, including 10 specifically for key workers in the borough’s social care teams, are set for cabinet approval on Monday 23 March.
Of these, 100 are council homes to be bought for families who would otherwise be in emergency accommodation, 10 are homes to help recruit and retain key workers in the borough, and nine are new-build homes for council tenants being delivered by developer Brick By Brick. These nine new council homes would be provided at Longheath Gardens in Addiscombe alongside a further 24 new council homes delivered by Brick By Brick whose purchase was approved by cabinet in January.
The key worker homes would go to existing and future council staff who support children looked after, and these properties are in a block built by council developer Brick By Brick at Windmill Place in Coulsdon. Each flat would be available on a one-year renewable tenancy at 80% of the usual private market rate to make the borough a more affordable place to live for social workers.
This follows on from previous affordable housing purchases by Croydon Affordable Homes (CAH), which was set up by the council in July 2017 to provide at least 250 new affordable homes for Croydon residents. These mainly two- and three-bed flats and houses were provided for Croydon families previously in temporary accommodation, and the total of homes provided under CAH now stands at 346.
“Boosting supply of good-quality and genuinely affordable homes for Croydon people is a top council priority, and we’re delivering on that promise.
“As well as providing over 100 additional council homes for people on our waiting list, these plans will also make Croydon more affordable to social workers whose support is crucial to local children and families.”
Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes and Gateway services
