Two of our sheltered housing schemes are providing much-needed homes to armed forces Veterans.
We partnered with charity Stoll to house 10 Veterans at Alan Kelly House and Gloucester Court, both supported schemes for older people, in Kensington and Chelsea.
The fire evacuation policy and number of stairs at the schemes meant that the flats were not suitable for those with mobility issues, so we were struggling to find residents.
Stoll is the UK’s leading provider of supported housing for Veterans. It provides high quality homes at social rents and support services that enable vulnerable and disabled Veterans to lead fulfilling, independent lives. It was able to help by finding Veterans – many of whom had been living in emergency temporary accommodation or sofa surfing – who fit the criteria for Alan Kelly House and Gloucester Court, and all of the vacancies have now been filled.
Housing officer Natasha Dawkins believes the partnership has been beneficial:
‘Nominees are extremely positive; there is an overwhelming sense of gratitude in response to them being provided with a home they feel comfortable in.
‘I would gladly work with Stoll again in the future.’
Notting Hill Genesis resident and Veteran Mr Gittings is grateful for the partnership:
‘I absolutely love where I live and would like to say a big thank you to Notting Hill Genesis and Stoll for coming together like this.’
Ed Tytherleigh, chief executive at Stoll, said: ‘We have a waiting list of over 300 Veterans looking for accommodation. By allocating just one flat at an affordable rent to a Veteran, Britain’s social landlords can make a huge difference to end homelessness among the people who have served and fought for our country. I encourage all social housing providers to follow NHG’s lead and join our scheme.’
For more information about Stoll, see www.stoll.org.uk