City West starts on homes for LGBT people in Salford
City West Housing Trust has broken ground on a project in Broughton which will provide 14 homes for vulnerable people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
The housing association has developed the plans for the £1.4m development alongside Salford City Council and the LGBT Foundation. It will provide accommodation for LGBT people at risk of homelessness and facing difficult circumstances.
The homes will be available for affordable rent and have been backed by funding from the Homes & Communities Agency. Watson Homes is acting as developer for the scheme, which is due to complete in winter 2018. It has been designed by Grays Architecture.
Colette McKune, group deputy chief executive at ForViva, said: “We all have the right to be able to access a secure home and feel safe in their community.
“It has become clear that some LGBT people in Salford were facing incredibly tough choices on where to live, or even homelessness because their circumstances had left them with nowhere to turn for alternative housing.
“This scheme will go some way to addressing that challenge and will allow people to improve their situations and live independently.”
Paul Martin, chief executive of the Manchester LGBT Foundation, added: “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people can still face considerable discrimination within social housing services which can result in feelings of exclusion and isolation.
“I welcome today’s announcement about this ground-breaking scheme which recognises that LGBT people are an integral part of society and make a tremendous contribution to the identity of modern Salford.”
Last month, Watson Homes started on another development for ForViva group member City West Housing Trust, a £3.2m three-storey apartment block on Corporation Street in the centre of Eccles.
Overshadows what is a listed building somewhat, could say, based on the picture? . Is high time, all the same, the plot was filled, as some people have lived, in the neighbouring flats and houses for over TEN years now, and have been very patient, living on a building site, for so very long, often seemingly ignored by developers….. Good to have a real mix of properties and people in such inner city areas. This area has improved a great deal in the last few years
By Schwyz
As someone who has only just moved to the Greater Manchester area and who identifies as gay, I welcome this initiative.
By Bill D