Lotus Housing and National Housing Group (NHG) have transformed two properties in Essex to house the formerly homeless and save them money.
Fitted with environmentally friendly features, such as double glazing, electric Ecostrad radiators, energy efficient appliances, and solar panels, tenants could see their electricity bills halved, equal to £539 saved per year.
People living in poverty are the most affected by the cost of living crisis, as prices of energy, fuel, and food continue to rise.
Stephen Wasserman, CEO at NHG, said: “We have seen first-hand that the savings from living in energy-efficient homes make an incredible difference to a tenant’s disposable income, and ultimately their quality of life.
“More often than not when tenants move into a property after being homeless, they have nothing.
“While having somewhere to call home is a great start, it can be difficult to buy the essentials that so many of us take for granted.”
He continued: “To ease the financial strain of setting up a home from scratch, we have donated welcome hampers to each resident.
“These include cleaning supplies, cupboard staples like rice and pasta, and little luxuries like chocolate and crisps.”
According to The Times, food prices leapt by “a record high of 14.7% in October, soaring at a rate that is higher than inflation” which makes saving money wherever possible crucial, especially to those living in social housing.
Gurpaal Judge, CEO at Lotus Housing, said: “Enabling our residents to save money on their bills helps them to stabilise their finances and better prepare for the future.
“We’ve seen residents afford new gym memberships and healthier food as a result of their savings, and spend money on travel which can go a long way towards rebuilding broken relationships.
“We’re also working with NEFLT NHS Foundation Trust to provide integrated community and mental health services across Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.”
The completed project has 16 self-contained units, split between two neighbouring properties which share a communal garden.
Tenants will start moving into the property now and Lotus expects all tenants to have moved into their new home by the end of January.
Main image: Katrina Hindley (NHG), Chandni Bhogal (Lotus), Gurpaal Judge (Lotus CEO) and Ade Oloko (housing manager worker at property) (LR)
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