A mum who had been living in temporary accommodation with her young daughter for eight months said moving into a new home of their own had ‘changed everything’ – giving them new hope for a brighter future.
Sophie Paul said the difference in her three-year-old daughter Lilly-Rose had been ‘amazing’. The youngster has some additional needs and before moving to their new home in Morris Street, Bury, had struggled to be around strangers and with her language development.
“But since we moved here she’s flourished,” Sophie, who is a customer of not-for-profit housing provider Irwell Valley Homes, said.
“She’s come on so much in so many ways – her confidence, her language. Everything is different now; our lives have changed so much.”
Sophie and Lilly-Rose moved into one of the affordable rent homes in March, soon after they were completed.
The development is made up of 16 two and three-bedroom homes let at 80 per cent of the market rate for the area, as well as a further nine offered through shared ownership.
The new homes, which make up a £4.3m scheme with £1.1m provided by Homes England, were launched by Irwell Valley Homes in their 50th birthday year.
The organisation started out with just nine homes in Salford in May 1973 and now serves more than 20,000 customers across 7,800 homes in Greater Manchester, including nearly 1,100 homes in Bury.
Sophie said: “I feel so lucky to have been offered one of these homes.
“We had to go into temporary accommodation when my relationship with Lilly-Rose’s dad ended and during those eight months we had to move twice. It was a really difficult time.
“When I found out we were being offered a brand-new home, I couldn’t believe it – I was over the moon! It wasn’t what I expected at all."
Sophie and Lilly-Rose joined other guests including Councillor Clare Cummins, cabinet member for housing services at Bury Council, local ward Councillor Mary Walsh, Jackie Summerscales, unit manager for housing strategy, policy and performance at Bury Council, and representatives from building contractor Watson Homes for the official opening of the scheme.
Guests enjoyed a tour of the homes – which have a host of green features including air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points to benefit the environment and help customers with energy bills – and tucked into a 50th birthday cake, celebrating Irwell Valley Homes’ anniversary.
Sasha Deepwell, Chief Executive of Irwell Valley Homes, said: “It was fantastic to meet Sophie and Lilly-Rose at the launch of our Morris Street development and hear from them first-hand the difference that a safe, affordable and quality home is making to their lives.
“Some 50 years on from when we launched, this remains our core purpose – to enable people to live well in their homes and communities. Bury has been one of our key areas since our very early days – in fact one of our longest standing customers, who has been a tenant with us since 1976, lives just up the road from Morris Street.
“During our 50th year it is wonderful to be building on that legacy and launching these much-needed new homes.”
Councillor Clare Cummins, cabinet member for housing services at Bury Council, said: "I am delighted to see these new homes completed. Not only does this new development contribute towards the council’s ambition to build more affordable housing, but these high quality energy efficient homes – which are all-electric, EPC A-rated and have air source heat pumps - will reduce fuel bills and help our efforts to protect the environment.
“It was wonderful to meet Sophie Paul and her daughter Lilly-Rose and I was delighted to hear how their new home has transformed their lives and no doubt the lives of many others living here.
“We have an excellent relationship with Irwell Valley Homes and will continue to support them and our other registered provider partners to create new high quality affordable housing to help meet the current and future needs of our communities and maintain Bury as a better place to live.”
Having the stability and the security that this place offers us at a rent I can afford is amazing and gives me so much peace of mind. The area is great, Lilly-Rose loves the park up the road and it’s in the catchment area for a school I like. The future seems so much brighter now we’re here.