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How can we address Affordable Housing Issues

PR 187

31 May 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Day Long Discussion

Finding a local definition for key workers is just one of the areas up to 100 housing experts will be looking at during a consultation day in June organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

Representatives from housing associations, the voluntary sector and tenants organisations will join Council officers to look at ways of providing more affordable housing in the Borough.

To be held on June 5, at the King’s Centre, the group will look at a range of options including rental, shared ownership and how key workers can be helped to find homes.

“The Borough does have a need to provide more affordable housing for a range of people, including key workers,” explained Mark Burns, the Council’s Head of Housing Needs and Welfare.

“We are currently working with Waveney District Council on an assessment of the types of affordable housing that we have to offer, and although this is a necessary piece of research we also need to look at other ways of providing the standard of housing in the area that is needed to help people find homes.

“One of the ways is to look at sectors, such as key workers, and assess what a key worker is. Using the national guidelines most people see nurses, ambulance staff, fire fighters and police officers as key workers.

“But in the Borough we know that many businesses have key workers who keep their companies going. Over the last few years house prices have risen so steeply that couples and single people who would have expected to be on the home-ownership ladder by now are not, and may never be.

“So we need to look at providing quality, attractive and sustainable housing that will appeal to people like this, and it is a fact that if affordable housing is of a good quality tenants are more likely to respect it.

“As a Council we look to help a large range of people with housing issues – so the agenda for the day is very wide.

“Other topics under discussion will include building life-time homes - the kind of premises that can be easily adapted in the future for use by elderly or disabled householders; measures to persuade some private landlords to upgrade the quality of their rented properties; and the promotion of existing services such as acting as a mediator between landlords and tenants to prevent homelessness, and Safe at Home which helps elderly tenants to make adaptions to their homes to allow them an independent lifestyle.”

The consultation day is being sponsored by Orbit Housing.

For further information contact Mark Burns Head of Housing Needs and Welfare on 01493 846450 or Steven Ford Needs Manager on 01493 846127.

Issued by:
Karla Symonds
Communications and Diversity Officer
01493 846512
on behalf of

Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513

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