Eden House Visit
TWO groups of Billingham residents benefited from a special visit recently.
The residents of Eden House, a sheltered scheme in the town, took a trip to the site of their new homes for the first time since work began.
The outdated accommodation at Eden House was recently demolished to make way for high quality, state-of-the-art sheltered housing properties.
The residents had a chance to see the start of work to rebuild their homes, a mixture of 22 one and two-bedroom sheltered apartments for rent, alongside four two-bedroom bungalows, which will be for sale through Optimus Homes, a subsidiary of Erimus Housing.
Eden House’s nine former residents are currently living in Derwent House, also in Billingham, until the work is complete. They will be due to move in early in 2009.
Derwent House will then be demolished to make way for new sheltered apartments, as well as Witham House in Eaglescliffe, which will also be rebuilt.
The other three sheltered schemes now under Erimus Housing ownership; Lauder House in Fairfield, Ewbank Gardens in central Stockton and High Grange House in Billingham, all recently underwent major modernisation by Erimus Housing.
More than £6m is being invested into the six schemes by Erimus, part of the Fabrick Housing Group, and will benefit more than 100 residents.
A group of girl guides will be able to revamp their home thanks to a £1,000 boost from Erimus Housing and its contractor, refurbishment and construction company Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East, which is building the new Eden House.
The guide hall was recently used for a series of consultation sessions about Eden House and Erimus has offered £500 towards revamping the building, which is being matched by Frank Haslam Milan.
Chris Smith, Managing Director for Erimus Housing, said: “We are pleased to see the first of the new schemes taking shape as part of the promises we made to tenants during the stock transfer process.
“We are also committed to working with young people and we are delighted to be supporting young people in this community.”