Innovative Community-Led Housing Scheme Shortlisted for a Hat-Trick of National Awards
An innovative community-led housing scheme in Wigan helping local people get on the property ladder has been shortlisted for three national awards.
Delivered by Prima Group and Housing People Building Communities (HPBC), St William’s sees residents - known as home-partners - working 500 hours on the new development in return for a £10,000 reduction in their mortgage deposit.
The scheme has been recognised by judges in the UK Housing Awards and Building Innovation Awards.
In the UK Housing Awards, St William’s is shortlisted in the Partnership of the Year (Development) category and the Most Innovative Affordable Housing Project and Most Innovative Partnership categories of the Building Innovation Awards.
Prima Group Chief Executive, John Ghader, said: “St William’s is a unique, collaborative project that is addressing affordable housing challenges for low-income families helping people who would otherwise not be able to afford deposits.
“The sweat equity model promotes buy-in and fosters community cohesion as home-partners work side-by-side developing the very neighbourhood they will live in.
“Importantly, it allows people to form relationships so a cohesive and supportive neighbourhood is created from the start and it has far-reaching benefits to the wider community.”
Situated in the Ince area of Wigan, Prima Group and HPBC formed a partnership to create high-quality, safe, affordable homes that build strong communities.
Liverpool RC Archdiocese gifted St William’s Church and Presbytery and adjacent land to HPBC, which Prima Group then paid for and included in its appraisal.
In total, 13 apartments/duplexes are being created by refurbishing existing buildings and building 14 new homes, transforming a historic but disused landmark on a derelict brownfield site into a thriving asset for the local community.
The scheme has the local community at its heart.
Homes were purposely offered to local people with everyone moving into St William’s living within four miles of the site and 70% residing within one mile. All home-partners work in Wigan with 90% employed in Ince.
To ensure home-partners were rewarded well for their hard work, Prima Group and HPBC gave a sweat equity rate of £20 per hour (£10,000 for 500 hours) which is almost double the National Living Wage.
To involve the local community, volunteering and training opportunities were given to Wigan and Leigh College students so they could experience working on-site while an outdoor seating area for St William’s Catholic Primary School was created.
The Building Innovation Awards will announce its winners on 17th October, followed by the UK Housing Awards on 26th November.
