The final development to be completed as part of Watford Community Housing and Watford Borough Council’s social rent programme, Thistley House, is now home to 13 two-bedroom apartments for social rent.
Situated in West Watford, Thistley House benefits from private parking spaces and balconies, as well as additional wall insulation to conserve heat throughout the winter months. Construction on the £1.24m development began in November 2020 and has now been completed.
The new homes are ideally placed for access to Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Road Stadium, or Watford town centre, and mark the completion of a £15.2m social rent programme which has been funded with a grant from Homes England, and contributions from Watford Community Housing and Watford Borough Council.
Over the course of two years 56 homes have been built across seven locations, comprising everything from three-bedroom family homes with gardens, to one-bedroom balcony apartments — all available for social rent.
Social rent is usually around half the cost of renting a similar property on the private market, and the programme was implemented by Watford Borough Council and Watford Community Housing to improve access to high-quality housing for all local residents, particularly at a time when the cost-of-living is so high.
Recently, Elected Mayor Peter Taylor met with representatives of Watford Community Housing for a tour of the grounds.
Commenting on the programme, Elected Mayor Peter Taylor said: “I am committed to continuing our mission to deliver more homes for social rent to across the town. This is crucial if we are to see local families move out of temporary accommodation and end rough sleeping in the town. That is why I am pleased to announce the completion of these 56 new social rent homes in Watford.
“These homes will provide much-needed affordable housing for residents, and we are proud to have played a part in improving the community. I am thankful to all of our partners who have helped to deliver this project and make it a success.”
Chief Executive of Watford Community Housing, Tina Barnard added: “Over the past few years we’ve worked closely with Watford Borough Council to deliver modern, affordable homes across Watford, and we are proud of what we have achieved. However, we know there is still huge demand for affordable housing, and we are continuing to work in partnership with the council to meet the needs of the Watford community and provide homes for social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership.”
Header photo credit: Simon Jacobs
