Not-for profit group offers to fund modular housing

Not-for-profit organisation Right2Homes is placing advertisements in national newspapers today offering to build emergency modular housing, if local authorities provide the land and fast-track planning permission.

The organisation, which is backed by business people and lawyers, said it has the funding, project management and suppliers to provide “a turnkey, fully-funded, temporary solution to local authorities to help provide homes”.

Lower rates

Under the proposal Right2Homes would offer up to four-bedroom houses to local authorities for a five-year lease. The organisation claims it could offer the authorities lower rates than those they are paying for hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation for the homeless.

The council would retain ownership of the land and at the end of the five-year period Right2Homes would either remove the homes to realise their residual value, or enter a new deal with the authority.

Spokesman Brian Reilly said the offer was being made to facilitate families “in desperate need of a stable, medium-term, safe environment in which to raise their families, on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis”.

Mr Reilly said most of the intended recipients would have been forced into the private rental accommodation sector, “and more are being housed in emergency accommodation in B&B’s and hotels”.