At least 32 new carbon-free council houses have been promised to be completed by early 2023 in Greenwich while homeless people in the borough have resorted to using cardboard boxes for shelter this winter.
The 32 homes are part of the development on Tuskar Street that includes eight houses with private gardens, 12 duplex apartments, and 12 apartments with a shared residents’ garden.
The council said three of the apartments are adapted for wheelchair use, and plans include three accessible parking spaces, in line with the commitment for 10 per cent of all Greenwich Builds homes to be wheelchair accessible.
Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, said: “Building truly affordable homes at speed is a top priority for the Council, and innovative modular construction is key in enabling us to deliver this. Modular building also reduces the environmental impact of our council homes, helping us meet the targets set out in our Carbon Neutral Plan.”
As part of the Greenwich Builds programme run by Greenwich Council, 1,750 zero-carbon homes will be available to people on the housing waiting list. Of these, 750 have been either completed or underway with two said to recently have been completed prior to Christmas across the borough. Greenwich Council announced on Twitter in December: “Finished just in time for Christmas: two more zero carbon #GreenwichBuilds council homes!” and will be available for people on the councils housing waiting lists through the Choice Based Lettings system currently in place, allowing people to choose which house is most suitable for them.
The council said the homes were built under controlled factory conditions before being installed on each site; this allowed faster building time as well as reduced carbon emissions and disruptions to neighbouring houses.
As part of Greenwich council’s Carbon Neutral Plan, the houses have been built with solar panels and heat pumps, which allow for cheaper running costs for tenants amid the current cost of living crisis.
The programme began in 2020 and promised to build “truly affordable council homes at top speed”. Meanwhile, local residents in the area have called upon the council to take action against the increased homelessness in Greenwich. One member of the ‘Royal Borough of Greenwich community’ on Facebook said: “I’ve lived in the borough of Greenwich nearly 40 plus years and I’ve never seen so many homeless people as I have these last two months, to the point that they’ve turned the corner of Poundland into cardboard city”.
The council continues to provide updates on their website regarding the carbon-free council houses but has yet to address the growing concerns within the community about the increase in rough sleepers on the streets.
