A NEWTOWNARDS social housing scheme, consisting of 23 homes, was officially launched earlier this month.
Ark Housing Association’s Housing for All shared housing programme at Quarry Heights in Newtownards, were officially launched on July 4.
The £4.2m development, which consists of 23 homes, is a housing scheme that embodies Ark Housing’s commitment to providing quality homes for all members of the community.
Part funded by the Department for Communities (DfC) with Housing Association Grant, the development is situated in the heart of Newtownards and has revitalised a once unused site into a thriving hub of modern living.
As part of the DfC and Housing Executive’s Shared Housing programme Housing for All, the development also serves as a catalyst for bringing people together.
The Housing for All programme has its origins in the Executive ‘Together: Building a United Community Strategy’, which reflects the NI Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.
The aim of the Housing for All programme is not about forcing people to live in a certain way or in a certain area, but rather to improve the choices that are available to people by tackling the barriers that prevent them from opting to live in shared neighbourhoods.
This development marks Ark Housing’s seventh such project, and through its Community Invest Team, it will deliver its Housing for All programme at Quarry Heights over the next five years.
Ark Housing’s property development and community investment teams worked closely in partnership with the Housing Executive and the DfC to successfully deliver the investment of £2.5m in the shared housing development.
The programme will be delivered in partnership with a local advisory group which will steer and support the organisation in the delivery of their good relations plan for the area and it will also engage a range of key stakeholder groups from across the community.
The good relations plan will include ‘bridging’ events with the aim of delivering a range of positive outcomes focussed on areas such as health and wellbeing, education, advice and advocacy, arts and culture and community sustainability.
Mr Jim McShane, Chief Executive of Ark Housing said the social housing organisation was looking forward to strengthening their ties to the Newtownards community through the delivery of this programme and thanked the local community groups and other stakeholders in attendance for their continued support in ensuring the successful delivery of the programme.
