WORK to refurbish sheltered housing in Coventry has created 44 flats for residents with support needs.
Housing association Citizen, formerly Whitefriars, said it opened the supported housing in Hillfields this week (April 6).
The project to overhaul the flats in Jenner Street started in November, with a £280,000 contribution from Coventry Council.
Citizen said its new accommodation will accommodate people in Coventry who, until recently, were living in night shelters or on the streets with underlying health conditions.
The association said: “We will be working closely with support providers to help prepare and equip these people to live independently within the city.
“In the long term, the accommodation will be used to accommodate families with support needs in the city.”
Citizen’s Chief Executive, Kevin Rodgers, said: “It’s fantastic that our new supporting housing facility is open.
“We are opening this service in the coronavirus pandemic because people in Coventry desperately need this accommodation.
“Temporary accommodation in Coventry is in short supply so I’m certain this new accommodation will be very well received.
“We have a clear social purpose here at Citizen, which is to provide homes that are a foundation for life.
“There are some fundamental challenges people in our communities are facing, and they continue to face during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are committed to working to solve some of the most pressing issues around housing in Coventry alongside the Council.”
Councillor David Welsh, Deputy Cabinet Member Housing and Communities, at Coventry City Council, added: “Citizen’s new supporting housing facility will provide much needed self-contained accommodation and will help reduce overall costs for the Council.
“The money we save will be used to support residents of the city in other ways.
“It’s great to see the new accommodation open, supporting the city during this particularly challenging time.”
