The transformation of a former Salford peatland into affordable family housing is now complete – with several new residents finding stability and security again after years in temporary accommodation.
We delivered the 18 new homes in Bryum Close, off Mossfield Road, in Swinton. The mixture of two, three and four bedroom detached and semi-detached homes are all available at affordable rent, which is 80% of the market rate for the area.
Mazen Sheikh, who moved into one of the homes with his wife and four children after 3.5 years in temporary accommodation, said: “Moving here is a new opportunity for us.
“Now we are settled in a safe, secure home we can focus on the future and what’s next for our lives.
“The house has everything we need – space for us to be together as a family, places to do study and homework, a kitchen we can cook and enjoy meals in together. For many years, we didn’t have this – where we lived was cramped and overcrowded. It didn’t feel like our home, and it was always on my mind about what might happen next.
“Now those worries and distractions are gone. We can finally move forward.”
The development has delivered essential new homes at a time of rising demand and increased pressure on temporary accommodation across the region - with data from Greater Manchester Combined Authority indicating that there are almost 6,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 8,600 children across the city region*.
Built with Irwell Valley Homes investment, along with funding from Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the new homes benefit from green features including air source heat pumps to heat water and photovoltaic panels to generate clean and renewable electricity.
Sasha Deepwell, Chief Executive of Irwell Valley Homes, said “These homes are already transforming lives of people in Salford.
“Hearing the stories of residents like Mazen highlights clearly the human cost of the temporary accommodation crisis and strengthens our commitment to continuing to do more to deliver the homes and services people in Greater Manchester need.
“With new funding opportunities and a growing recognition that good housing underpins everything from health to economic opportunity, we are excited for the future. We will continue to play our part in providing the foundation from which people can build their future and live well.”
Michael Wheeler, MP for Worsley and Eccles, said: "I am really pleased to see the delivery of new social housing in Swinton. It is desperately needed to address the housing crisis. It is good to see that families are moving into the properties already, with many, like Mazen and his family, having experienced long waits in temporary accommodation.
"As the MP for Worsley & Eccles, which includes this part of Swinton, I am frequently contacted by constituents who have been waiting in temporary accommodation or living in cold and damp homes for too long, and projects such as this will help people to make new starts in good quality homes.
"I welcome this investment by Irwell Valley Homes in our community, with support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Homes England, and I look forward to working with them and other social housing providers as Labour delivers on its promise to build new affordable homes for families across the UK."