As the first council in London to provide modular homes to help tackle homelessness, Haringey is helping those in need of a safe and secure roof over their heads
On 13 October, the deputy mayor of London joined the leader of Haringey Council and the chief executive from Hill Group for the official handover of the 33 modular homes in Haringey, named SoloHaus.
The scheme in Ermine Road, Tottenham is a partnership between Haringey Council and Hill Group.
Half of the homes at Olive Morris Court have been donated by Hill and further funding was provided by the GLA and central government. It has also received support from Citizens UK.
Being the first project in London to benefit from Foundation 200 – a £15m initiative by Hill donating 200 modular homes on unused land to organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness – SoloHaus is situated on a former storage yard and is specially equipped for a single person to move straight into.
The homes have energy costs of £5 a week and are designed to Future Homes Standards, exceeding building regulations for energy efficiency and sound insulation, and with a design life of 60 years.
‘We can’t tackle this problem alone’
Councillor Peray Ahmet, leader of Haringey Council, said: “I’m proud to be part of this joint initiative to help people move on securely from a life of sleeping rough.
“We know we can’t tackle this problem alone, which is why I’m so delighted our collaboration with Hill is helping us deliver good quality, transitional housing that ensures people in need can get their lives back on track.
“Tackling homelessness remains one of our top priorities and during the pandemic we offered emergency accommodation to over 1,000 people sleeping rough.
“We are determined to continue our efforts and support people off the streets in our borough.”
Andy Hill, chief executive of The Hill Group, added: “We are delighted to be working with Haringey Council to provide the first specially built modular follow-on homes in London.
“As an important part of our Foundation 200 initiative to gift modular homes, I am confident that this new development will make a tangible difference to people experiencing homelessness in Haringey.
“I hope this project will give many residents the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a safe, secure and comfortable environment. To maximise the benefits of this initiative, we will be seeking to employ tenants in our developments within Haringey and adjacent boroughs.”
A team of Haringey Council staff will provide round the clock specialist support to residents, helping them settle into their new modular homes.
Please contact the council via the website streetlink.org or call 0300 500 0914 if you are concerned about someone sleeping rough in the borough, to help them get the support and access services they might need.
