A £2.3 MILLION project to build 16 flats to house disabled people is now underway – and will be complete by the end of the year.
The scheme, in Heneage Road, Grimsby, is HB Community Solutions' first project in North East Lincolnshire but they are already planning a second site with 16 more flats and potentially four bungalows on Crosland Road.
North East Lincolnshire Care Plus Group has already identified clients for both projects, although the developers have not yet applied for planning permission for Crosland Road.
Disabled tenants, many of whom have only been given the option to live in sheltered or shared housing before, will have their own space and independence but with 24-hour care, if needed.
Emily Marshall, intensive support team worker for the Care Plus Group, has been in the industry for 24 years and is delighted that one of her clients is moving into the home.
"Largely established care models nationwide haven't always understood these people's needs but these homes have identified them more clearly," she said.
"Care homes for older people or shared houses were often the only option but not always appropriate. This scheme allows younger people with disabilities to create their own communities."
One of the most impressive things about the project is that the build itself has not cost the tax payer a penny, despite the fact it will carry out a public service.
North East Lincolnshire Care Plus Group has committed to a 20-year tenancy which guarantees housing benefit for each of the 16 tenants will be paid to the landlord.
HB Solutions has sold this guaranteed income to a pension fund, which has financed the build and a 20 per cent profit for the company.
Alastir Sheehan, group development director for HB Villages, said: "We tried to find money through the banks but it was impossible so we were forced to think differently.
"It's been three years since conception because it's been so difficult, but we are really excited about the project now.
"The Care Plus Group has worked very hard to help us design the building to the right specification and identify a need for it in the area so we could prove it would be a safe investment."
On Thursday, many of the tenants who will be living in the block visited the site of their future homes for a sneak preview of the work and a celebration buffet at the nearby Wheatsheaf pub.
The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Mike Burton, officially broke the ground with a ceremonial spade.
Autistic resident-to-be Danny Wright, 26, of Wybers Wood, is looking forward to having a red leather sofa – something he couldn't do in a shared house.
Mum Margaret Wright, 58, of Wybers Wood, said: "A shared house wouldn't have been right for him – you can't choose who you live with or what's in the house, but Danny likes to know what's going on.
"Now he has the opportunity to have his own space but with the support he needs because he could never do it on his own."
