State of the art bungalow is a taste of things to come!
Trish Law AM and Dai Davies MP have officially opened a state-of-the-art supported housing bungalow in Blaina. The bungalow will provide accommodation for individuals with learning disabilities and has been built specifically to meet the needs of the new occupants.
The bungalow is the result of a successful partnership between United Welsh housing association and Blaenau Gwent County Council. It is also a development supported with a Social Housing Grant (SHG) of £360,00 from the Welsh Assembly Government.
The bungalows are designed to provide housing for three individuals with learning disabilities. Specialist 24hr support will be provided by Cartrefi Cymru who have a key role in helping to provide supported living. They specialise in supporting people with learning disabilities and their families.
The housing will provide a stable, secure and safe environment. It is a model of accommodation that provides privacy and independence with communal areas that help to ensure no one becomes isolated or lonely.
In total the bungalow will provide three bedrooms and an additional room for support staff. The building has been designed to meet the specific requirements of each individual occupant. The bathrooms have been fully adapted to include a specialist bath and walk-in shower. In addition, the doors have been widened to allow the safe hoisting of tenants from the bedroom to the bathroom.
As with all new buildings constructed by United Welsh, the bungalow contains a number of environmental features. These include solar panels for heating hot water and sun-pipes to allow light into dark areas of the building.
But this development is just a taste of things to come! United Welsh have just received substantial funding from the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake further work in Bleanau Gwent. The funding will help to build more affordable housing to assist both first-time buyers and those looking for affordable property to rent.
Richard Mann, Director of development for United Welsh said: “This is an exciting time for the organisation and we are looking forward to working closely with Blaenau Gwent CBC to meet the housing needs of local people. Being awarded a funding allocation of this size is testament to the successful work we have already done in the area and our emphasis on quality homes that people can afford to rent or buy”.
The programme of development will exceed £8m jointed funded by United Welsh housing association and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Trish Law AM, Dai Davies MP, and Cllr Des Hillman at the opening of the supported housing bungalow
External view of the bungalow showing solar panels and sun pipe
Internal view of the bungalow – decoration chosen by the supported housing tenants