The council has bought a £10 million block of flats in Brighton as housing chiefs step up their efforts to ease the waiting list.
The 38 flats on the site of the old Whitehawk clinic include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes. Two of the flats are wheelchair-accessible.
Brighton and Hove City Council bought the block – known as the Kubic Apartments – from the developer Martin Homes.
The deal was completed last week for the flats, which have not been previously occupied, and while the sale price has not been published, it has been estimated at £10 million to £12 million.
In 2017, the council completed building 57 flats on the site of the old library about 400 yards down the hill – at Kite Place, on the corner of Findon Road.
The council spent £14 million on the scheme – or just under £250,000 a flat – on land that it already owned.
The Kubic Apartment flats are expected to be let at council rents to people on the housing register and could enable existing tenants to downsize from a bigger property, freeing family homes.
Councillors agreed to set aside extra money for the purchase earlier this year with and today (Friday 24 November) Labour councillor Gill Williams praised the deal.
Councillor Williams, who chairs the council’s Housing and New Homes Committee, said: “Providing more council homes is a top priority and buying this complete block of flats provides a substantial boost of 38 additional homes.
“These are good-quality flats which will be let to council tenants at social rents and we look forward to the first residents moving in.”
Martin Homes said: “We are delighted to have completed on the sale of 38 high-quality sustainable apartments to the local authority for much-needed socially rented homes for the residents of Brighton and Hove.
“This is a great example of the private and public sector working together for societal good.
“We are continuing to explore further opportunities where we, at Martin Homes, can support the city’s housing needs whether with the local authority again or privately and, in turn, support local economic growth.
“We are looking forward to working positively with the council in the near future.”
Councillor Williams said: “The purchase is just one of a range of innovative ways we’re increasing the supply of council housing in the city.
“We’re building new homes through our New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme and the Homes for Brighton and Hove partnership and buying back former council homes through our Home Purchase Policy.”
The council said: “A total of 127 new council homes – a mix of one, two and three-bedroom flats – are nearing completion in Coldean Lane, Coldean.
“These are part of a development by Homes for Brighton and Hove, a partnership between the council and affordable housing provider Hyde.
“The development, which is called Denman Place, also includes a further 115 flats which will be available through Hyde as shared ownership homes.
“It is the second project to be delivered by Homes for Brighton and Hove. The partnership’s first project was completed at Quay View, in St James Square, off Wellington Road, Portslade in the summer, providing 49 council flats and 55 shared ownership flats.
“The council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme has delivered 269 new council-rented homes across 15 sites so far – most recently, the award-winning development of Jay Court and Perching Court, in Portslade.
“Work is currently under way on four new council homes in Frederick Street in the city centre – and work is due to start shortly on three new homes in Rotherfield Crescent, Hollingbury.
“A further 264 homes – including 212 on the Moulsecoomb Housing and Community Hub Project – have planning approval and are progressing through the development process.
“Proposals are also in the pipeline for five other new developments of council homes. If approved the developments would deliver a total of more than 100 one, two and three-bedroom homes on council-owned sites at the former Hollingbury Library site, the former Portslade Village Centre, Windlesham House, Swanborough Drive and Oakley House.
“As well as building new housing, the council is also buying back former council homes sold under the ‘right to buy’ through the ‘home purchase policy’.
“Since the policy was introduced in 2017 more than 290 homes have been brought back into council ownership.”
Excellent!
As veteran of 5 cmbat zones , and now caring or a disabled wife , who served in RAF herself, and renting through letting agents, both of us served our country but dont get a release for that , but other people do
John – please look at the allocations scheme for the city and if you haven’t already apply – veterans do get priority and upcoming changes to allocations may decrease the time you’d have to bid for.
What a load of shi×#
Typical of Brighton Council to spend community payers money and not ask if its OK…on using community payers money , when services are being asset stripped…wake up lame people and say something…
This has been funded from the Housing Revenue Account which is funded by rents and not the council tax.
And councillors get elected to make these decisions.
the flats were built four years ago..and are empty nice to see something happen about them..
Although this is commendable, how about young families with children? They still dont build 3/4 bed houses with a garden anymore… The council sold off their stock under RTB and now many are student HMO’s
I think the idea is to build flats to get some of the people whos families have grown up and move out of 3 beds to downsize thus making more big houses free for families. My council road has at least 8x 3 bed house with 1 over 60 living in them, which isnt right at all. The council should have a policy against this but obviously need to get building a lot more flats to make it happen
If you read the story it says that there is an intention to ,at least in part, to use these flats to encourage current council housing stock tenants to downsize therefore freeing up the precise stock you mention.
Now how that actually pans out is anyone’s guess but as it’s a stated objective then in say 12 months a FOIR/ SAR requesting disclosure on % occuring along with ‘property type released’ and ‘existing/ long/ short/ new housing register tenants’ would be hard to decline and when/if provided be something that could be used as an accountability metric
I hope the are used in full for downsizing. There are over 5k households under occupying by two rooms, 3.5k are council tenants. This is not about forcing people out of homes, but ive seen no advertising campiagns by the council, no local meetings held in council estate areas, offering those under occupying viewing days and open days at the Kubix. Offer them a few £kk also and fill this whole place with tenants transfering out.
That way whereever those who move into those family homes, would then free up their homes or even reduce the numbers in temporary accommodation or especially those benefit capped at high rents. They could be taken out of the benefit cap if placed in social rent council homes due to the much lower rents.
Advertisement of downsizing is an interesting thought and a really good idea, really easy for BHCC to do too.
Surely Housing officers have a record of people willing to downsize into a suitable property?
No need to advertise if you already have a client list.
The could probbaly fill the place up just from people living in Whitehawk who want to downsize yet want to stay in the area because of family and social ties.
For sure. I have loads who come to me and say they wait years, so something is not right, the good news is the way they allocate transfers has been made a little better.
A lot of people will not know, not everyone uses social media etc.
The biggest issue that deters people is the new builds often are not social rents therefore why would you give up a 3 bedroom house with a garden, at say £400 a month rent to move into a 1 bedroom flat at say £600? People wont do it. Unless there rent is like for like.
No one should downsize and pay a higher rent
These people choose to have 2/3 kids and then can’t be bothered to bring them up and they become unruly. These flats will be continually be reported for weed use and drug dealing. Police will be called regularly to attend crime and domestic abuse in this area. Unfortunately people who claim universal credit have no values and have a sense of entitlement and to top off they will blaim it on mental health.
You you do not understand people like me are on universal credit because of the price of private rent. Working, having a disabled child all benefits added together do not cover my rent. As i work hard i have some savings so at mo a live on 0. Soon savings will be gone. Addtionally i only have one leg and got rejected for pip and the council refused to help.
How many bedrooms do you have and where are you?
There are so many single elderly couples living in three bedroom houses they give them support and pay incentives may be and costs to move to one bedroom flat or sheltered housing which we need more of and be more incistent they move.
I raised some points when this was being talked about a £9.5m deal. I am not against them coming in-house. But the council could have got a better deal. It was interesting talking to the insolvents for the developer, who owe millions in tax, and because the biggest creditor is themselves via a tax haven, the organisation get to appoint their own people. Its highly suspicious, will that money be paid back or will the other organisation be allowed to fold owing millions in taxes.
The response to the committee was more around tax evasion and the council having the negotiating power to get a better price, they actually gave them more money. *Watch by clicking my name
We are at where we are at. I hope this is used for the agreed intended plan, thats for downsizing those under occupying family homes, freeing up family homes for those in desperate need…
I know you’ve been an advocacy for the homeless and the housing crisis for a while now Daniel, so I’m confident that you’ll keep the council to task!
Where did the money come from? Found down the back of the settee? Thought the council was bust with a massive hole in spending.
The Housing Revenue Account which is separate from other council expenditure and income.
I wonder if some has been taken from Community Infrastructure Levy money in addition as its a lot more than expected
As these flats are new and nice they should restrict the block allocation to elderly people wishing to downsize. Then if they cannot find enough of these people for elderly people or single working people. The people should selected should also have no anti-social or illegal drug issues. Naturally, this group of people will live less time and it will then remain a much nicer, safer block and environment to encourage other older people downsizing to move into in the future. This will mean this block can in effect create triple the amount of housing it will do on its own.
Let them to students