A development of 39 much-needed affordable homes in the heart of Watford has been unveiled by Hightown Housing Association.
Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor declared the homes open along with the Chair and Chief Executive of Hightown and staff from Watford Borough Council and Hightown, at a special ribbon cutting event on Thursday 17th June.
Goldfinch House comprises of 39 one-and-two bedroom flats, including 23 for affordable rent (allocated to people in housing need nominated by Watford Borough Council) and 16 for shared ownership. Shared Ownership allows people get on the housing ladder by part buying, part renting their home.
Built on the site of the former Watford Town & Country Club and located on Rosslyn Road, Goldfinch House is close to Watford town centre and transport links.
Goldfinch House is another addition to the 355 affordable homes that Hightown already owns and manages in Watford.
This development is one of several land-led projects where Hightown has purchased the land directly and entered into a contract to build the homes as an alternative to working in partnership with a housebuilder through a section 106 planning agreement.
Hightown has been named as the UK’s fastest growing housing association for a second consecutive year, after building 429 homes last year (5.96% of total homes), with plans to build over 500 homes in 2021/22.
Samantha*, a resident at Goldfinch House who is very impressed with the standard of the property, said: “Its things like putting an integrated bin in the kitchen to help save some floor space. The turbo heater in the laundry room with pullout air-rail, just makes day-to-day living easier. It’s nice to know that someone has put some thought into the design of the flat and thought about the people that will be living here.”
David Bogle, Chief Executive at Hightown Housing Association, commented: “We are delighted to deliver another high quality development in Watford with welcome support from Homes England. These new homes provide housing for local families who cannot afford to buy or rent at market rates. After a challenging year, I am pleased that Hightown is able to continue to deliver high quality, affordable homes in our core area of south west Herts and as part of our development programme which will deliver over 500 affordable homes in 2021/22.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “These are fantastic new affordable homes that many local people and families will benefit from for years to come. We know that there are unfortunately many people who are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, as a result of the pandemic, so ensuring we have affordable homes in Watford is key to supporting everyone in our town. I hope the residents will be very happy in their new homes.”
*The resident’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
