Modular homes company Boutique Modern has revealed a new product called ModernHome, which has been developed to build homes quickly for people on the social housing waiting list and help local authorities save significant money at a crucial time.
As well as providing comfortable, safe and stylish homes for residents, the ModernHome product is said to offer a rapid-to-deploy, innovative and cost-effective financial model that will transform council and housing association land into vibrant communities, alleviating the costly top-up requirements currently plaguing councils around the UK.
This product launch comes after recent data from the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed the number of households in temporary accommodation has surged by 89% over the past decade.
Dick Shone, managing director at Boutique Modern, which is based in Newhaven, East Sussex, said: “We believe the launch of ModernHome can provide a genuine solution to the national housing shortage.
“Local authorities are spending billions on emergency accommodation all over the country when this money could be spent on other important local services.
“ModernHome and the financial models available with it can immediately stop this haemorrhage of cash and provide a solution to this long-term problem.
“The product is available right now across London and the South East, with plans to roll out the product nationally as soon as possible.
“ModernHome has been designed above all else to provide safe and comfortable homes, with a stylish design, that residents will enjoy living in and which will fit in with the surrounding neighbourhood.
“Interest in ModernHome from councils has already been strong as local authorities need a financially viable solution that responds to their needs. We’re confident this uptake will continue as we roll out across wider areas of the UK.”
In the 2022/23 financial year, councils spent more than £1.74 billion on temporary housing, largely due to the shortage of social housing and rising private rental costs, according to the LGA.
For example, in Eastbourne, the council has been spending £4.5 million on temporary accommodation, which equates to 49p in every £1 collected in council tax.
With many councils now allocating more than half their housing budgets to emergency accommodation, ModernHome presents a financially viable alternative which can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a traditional council housing scheme.
It is also an excellent fit for sites that may be earmarked for future development, maximising the use of available space to provide urgent accommodation for those in need.
When required, ModernHome can even be easily relocated by crane to a new site, allowing the land to be repurposed for permanent developments in the short or long-term future.
Another unique and innovative offering of ModernHome is that councils can lease the homes from Boutique Modern with monthly payments in line with their Local Housing Allowance for up to 20 years, with options for outright sale too.
This means that councils with limited capital to deploy can use ModernHome on sites without the outlay of typical development.
The available ModernHome range includes seven different apartment types, developed with Fuse Architects, including homes with studio accommodation right up to spacious four-bedroom layouts.
Schemes can be up to four storeys high, with each development designed to enhance and fit in with the look of the local area.
The products are also designed to be affordable to run, low energy and easy to maintain, which is expected to minimise ongoing costs to tenants and local authorities.
