A former council office and a closed adult social care home will be brought back into use as homes for local homeless families, reports Marco Marcelline
Amid a growing homelessness crisis, Waltham Forest Council has announced plans to convert two vacant council-owned buildings into temporary housing.
Former office Rowan House in Cecil Road, Leytonstone, and a closed adult social care home in Trumpington Road, Cann Hall will be brought back into use as homes for local households who have become homeless.
Rowan House will be turned into 17 new self-contained homes, including twelve larger family homes, while 130 Trumpington Road will be converted into 14 homes, with ten of these being larger family homes.
Both sites are set to gain a “modern, energy-efficient” heating system, new windows, doors and landscaping to improve their external appearance, as well as upgraded lighting, new CCTV, and secure door-entry.
The council says it intends to submit planning applications in May to change the respective buildings from their previous uses into temporary accommodation.
The town hall will manage both accommodations, which will be a temporary home to families until they are able to move into settled accommodation, which is usually in the private rented sector.
No extensions or major external changes planned to the buildings, with the focus being on internal refurbishment.
The council explained why the sites were chosen on a consultation page, stating: “They are already owned by [us], so we don’t need to buy any new land. They are currently empty, which means they can be brought back into use quickly, and only internal changes are needed, making them cost‑effective to convert.”
Temporary housing pressures have grown exponentially in recent years, with the council admitting it is facing a £14.4million overspend in its temporary housing budget.
The number of local residents living in temporary housing has almost doubled in three years – around 1,700 households were in temporary housing, according to council data from October – close to a 90% increase on the 900 households recorded in 2022.
Residents are invited to give their own feedback on the proposals via a short online survey on the council’s website. You can access the survey for 130 Trumpington Road here, and Rowan House here.
There will be an in-person consultation event planned on Wednesday 11th March from 4.30pm until 7pm at Buxton School, 34 Cann Hall Road, where residents can meet the project team, view the proposals and ask questions.
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