SOCIAL housing in Guernsey is set to change. Department minister Dave Jones and the Guernsey Housing Association want to alter the face of States accommodation to provide communities in which people are proud to live.
Victoria Avenue’s housing project is set to replace 36 flats and 10 houses with 57 new homes.
Deputy Jones said his vision for the project was one of a welcoming community.
‘We want to build this development with the key point being to provide a community, which may include a corner shop, a small community centre where visiting hairdressers or other people can carry out some business, or it can be used as a childcare facility.
‘It will be for the community as a whole.’
Demolition of the Victoria Avenue project is expected to take about 10 weeks, but construction of the 57 new homes may not begin until February.
Guernsey Housing Association chief executive Steve Williams said the development will have cost about £8m. on completion.
‘Two-thirds of that £8m. will come from the private sector and one-third from the States, which includes the land and a sum between £500,000 and £1m.
‘With the planning process and construction, Victoria Avenue is probably not going to be ready for its first tenants for another 12 months and completion is not expected for 18,’ he said.
With the Victoria Avenue development, the association is expected to have 300 homes in its portfolio in the next two years.
Mr Williams added that creating a community environment was key to the future of Guernsey’s social housing projects.
‘We want to include a mix of people with different incomes and from different backgrounds.
‘We want to mix the community up as a community should be.
‘We will try to approach it in a similar way as they are doing with social housing projects in the UK in terms of image and move away from a place of last resort.’
He said the association had made huge strides since its inception four years ago.
‘We are slowly building up a stock of property.’
Article posted on 22nd May, 2007 - 12.00am
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