Six more micro-homes for the homeless have been installed in Abbey, Cambridge, bringing the total number across the city to 22.
The site was provided by Cambridge City Council, with housebuilder Hill Group designing and installing the units. Each home comprises 25 square metres of floor space, with a separate living and cooking area, as well as a sleeping and bathroom area.
The scheme forms part of the larger collaboration between Hill Group, Cambridge City Council and Jimmy’s Cambridge, a local charity for the homeless, with the modular homes aiming to be a steppingstone between the streets and more permanent accommodation.
The homes are part of Hill’s Foundation 200 programme, a £12 million scheme to help reduce homelessness by providing 200 specifically designed and equipped modular homes across the city over the next few years.
Chief executive at Jimmy’s Mark Allan said “At Jimmy’s, we are always looking for new ways of working that allow us to provide vital opportunities to support those who are homeless.
The modular home programme has showcased Cambridge’s visionary spirit and will have a lasting impact on homelessness in the city. The six new homes launched last weekend will allow us to extend this impact to six more individuals who urgently need support.
We are grateful to both Hill Group and Cambridge City Council for their generosity and support in this venture and look forward to working with them further to help tackle homelessness across the city.”
Each home is delivered to the site prefabricated and ready to move into and has a running cost of less than £5 per week, with Cambridge being one of the first cities to explore a scheme such as this, with similar ones now being introduced elsewhere.
Cllr Mike Todd Jones, executive councillor for housing said “The council is proud to be part of this project by providing the land for the modular homes. Hill’s generous donation of 16 homes to the city has provided Jimmy’s with some top-quality housing for people who urgently need it.
The city council remains committed to tackling the city’s housing crisis and supporting organisations like Jimmy’s who can make all the difference in helping people get their lives back on track.”
Regional director at Hill, Tom Hill said he was ‘delighted’ the homes could make a ‘real difference’ in the city, adding “Mark Allan and his team are doing amazing work to provide a solution to homelessness, and Hill is thrilled to be playing a part in helping to tackle the housing crisis in the city with the city council.”
The first residents are expected to move in this July.
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