London awards £40m contract for homeless modular homes

Photo credit – PLACE

Extraspace Solutions has won a £40m contract to manufacture temporary modular homes for homeless families in London.

The Irish modular home manufacturer has been selected by the Pan-London Accommodation Collaborative Enterprise (PLACE) to deliver 200 affordable homes by 2021, which will be available for rent across London.

The two-or-three bedroom homes, which will be constructed off-site and placed temporarily on unused land, were announced by the London mayor Sadiq Khan last month after he invested £11m in PLACE’s scheme.

Eleanor Moloney, Extraspace Solutions lead designer, said: ‘Extraspace are delighted to be supporting PLACE’s mission to provide high-quality, local accommodation for people needing a home.

‘We are thrilled to be helping to deliver this exciting initiative, showcasing modern modular solutions in the residential market. This scheme will combine innovative design with a community feel.

‘Our precision-manufactured modular houses will deliver the quality of permanent homes, meeting the London Plan’s space standards, and can be relocated to the site of most need.’

The scheme is designed to give homeless families quality temporary accommodation in their local area, reducing the need for them to move across London.

PLACE’s modular housing units will be placed on vacant sites which are earmarked for development in the long-term but would otherwise remain unused beforehand.

The enterprise is hosted by the London borough of Tower Hamlets and supported by the London boroughs’ umbrella body London Councils.

Several of the city’s boroughs are now exploring suitable locations for PLACE accommodation with the first site set to be confirmed late this year.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ executive member for housing and planning, said: ‘PLACE is an exciting new collaboration designed to secure more and better accommodation for homeless Londoners.

‘PLACE will deliver high-quality, family-sized accommodation for homeless Londoners in their local borough – close to their schools, jobs, and support networks – and delivering new housing on previously unusable sites in the process.

‘This is the first time UK local authorities have jointly procured modular housing for this purpose and it shows London government’s determination to create better housing outcomes for homeless families.’

There are over 54,000 homeless households currently living in temporary accommodation in London – with over four-fifths of these being families with children.

The homes will be rented at 90% of the 2011 Local Housing Allowance rate, making them a cheaper alternative to other temporary accommodation.

Further details about PLACE’s scheme, including the first sites the homes will be placed on, are set to be announced over the coming months.