One in 10 new Greenwich Council homes are designed for people with a disability

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is building 1,750 new council homes, one in 10 of which is adapted for people living with a disability.

Councillors visited tenants in one of these new homes, created as part of the Council’s Greenwich Builds programme.

Angela is living with Multiple Sclerosis and moved with her family into a zero carbon Greenwich Builds bungalow in Plumstead last year. Its accessibility features include adjustable height kitchen surfaces, widened corridors and bifold doors opening onto a garden with raised planters.

The home also benefits from solar panels, air source heat pumps and extensive insulation, reducing both carbon emissions and running costs.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Cllr Anthony Okereke, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and ward Councillor Matt Morrow and ward Councillor Issy Cooke heard how the new home had transformed life for Angela and her family, who had previously been living in a house which was poorly suited for Angela’s mobility needs.

Cllr Okereke said: “Our borough saw the highest number of new affordable homes started of any London borough last year. It’s great to know that 10 per cent of these homes were designed for residents living with a disability, who have so often had to make do with homes that are poorly suited to their needs.

Meeting Angela and her family showed what a profound and positive impact the homes we are building have on the lives of residents in need of quality housing.

With over 700 Greenwich Builds homes complete or under construction we are doing everything we can to address the housing crisis by maximising the supply of housing for everyone in our borough.”

The Council’s 1,750 Greenwich Builds programme is part of a wider range of housing delivery which includes community-led affordable home-building, intermediate affordable rented developments and partnerships with housing associations and developers.

Together these measures are designed to ensure that people in Greenwich have access to a safe and secure home that meets their needs.