A local authority that has made high profile comments about the need for low-cost accommodation for local people and the homeless is now selling off almost half of the modular homes it bought just four years ago.
Some of the properties have never been used.
Cornwall Council claims they are now deemed too expensive to site – around £9m if the authority paid a market rent for locations.
In 2021 the council bought the SoloHaus units to provide the homeless with a stepping stone for people towards more traditional rented accommodation.
The SoloHaus units equire planning permission and building regulations, as well as heating, drainage and utility connections before they can be occupied. Now 37 of the 79 units are to be sold off.
A spokesperson for the council has told the Cornwall Live news service: “For these schemes to be successful we have to build larger-scale developments in urban areas within or close to towns and public transport, where there is also the right support. The cost associated with building a new site – including design and construction, utilities and access – is, on average, almost £244,000 per SoloHaus unit. This would increase if we had to purchase land. This is not a cost we can sustain.
“As a result, we will shortly be asking for expressions of interest from third parties who wish to take ownership and repurpose the remaining unused 37 SoloHaus homes, focusing on housing-led uses that support affordability, homelessness prevention and/or deliver community or social benefits.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today