Modular homes planned for Hemel Hempstead to help tackle homelessness
The SoloHaus homes will be built near Aragon Close.
The homes are specifically designed, furnished and fully equipped for a single person to live in.
Submitted for publication in the Hertfordshire Mercury
Planning permission has been granted to Dacorum Borough Council to install eight purpose-build modular homes in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire to help tackle homelessness.
The SoloHaus homes, which are to be built near Aragon Close, have been provided by the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, The Hill Group.
SoloHaus are specially designed, furnished and fully equipped for a single person to live in, with every detail designed to support and protect vulnerable residents. The modular solution provides suitable independent space and a safe environment for residents to adjust to more permanent accommodation.
The homes are designed to Future Homes Standards, exceeding building regulations for sound insulation and energy efficiency, with electricity for each home costing £5 a week.
The council has funded seven of the modular homes with The Hill Group adding a further unit as part of Foundation 200, a £15million initiative by the company’s Chief Executive, Andy Hill, to donate 200 modular homes to local authorities and homelessness charities by 2025.
Cllr Margaret Griffiths, Dacorum Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Housing said: "We are delighted to be able to provide these energy efficient homes for people in the greatest housing need in Dacorum. The modular homes provide an independent, safe, environment for residents to take the next step into more permanent accommodation."
Andy Hill, Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group comments: "We're proud to be working with our partners Dacorum Borough Council to provide the very first SoloHaus homes in Hertfordshire, giving vulnerable individuals safe, secure homes in which to rebuild their lives."
Purpose built in factories in the West Midlands by The Hill Group and their manufacturing partner, Volumetric Modular, each SoloHaus home arrives ready for installation, complete with furniture, cutlery, white goods, bedding, and even a wardrobe filled with clothes. Designed specifically as follow-on accommodation for vulnerable individuals, the homes are a viable housing solution for people experiencing homelessness, whilst reducing the typical expenses associated with traditional temporary accommodation.
For further information or support with concerns about housing, please contact Dacorum Borough Council via the website Housing advice and options (dacorum.gov.uk) or call 01442 228000 to help get the support and access to services needed.
The Hertfordshire Mercury covers areas including but not limited to Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Goffs Oak, Hoddesdon, Ware and Hertford in Hertfordshire.
