Twenty one and two-bedroom flats in Quarry Hill Road are set to provide temporary accommodation for local families facing homelessness, following an agreement secured by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.
The council has entered into an agreement for lease on the development, which will see 20 flats converted from former office space by the owners before being leased by the authority.
The accommodation will be used for local families with a connection to the borough who find themselves homeless and whom the council has a legal duty to house.
The announcement comes as around 100 households across Tonbridge and Malling currently require temporary accommodation. The council says the new scheme will also help reduce its reliance on more expensive emergency housing options, which currently cost around £2.2 million a year.
Cllr Robin Betts, Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy, said the flats were in a sustainable location, close to Tonbridge town centre and the railway station.
He added that the scheme would help local families needing emergency accommodation to remain within the area.
Separately, council leader Matt Boughton has also posted about what appears to be a related housing initiative on social media, under the heading ‘Local Homes for Local People’.
In a Facebook post, accompanied by a video, Cllr Boughton said the council had taken a lease on Douglas House, above Lidl in Tonbridge, to provide accommodation for 20 families at a time.
He described the accommodation as being exclusively for local families in need of a home.
The post attracted a largely positive response, with several residents welcoming the announcement and praising the use of the space.
However, some commenters raised questions about how homes would be allocated and whether they would genuinely be prioritised for Tonbridge residents. One resident asked whether the scheme would be self-funded through rents or require a subsidy from council taxpayers.
Written by John
John is the ‘news’ editor for the Tonbridge Bean. Writing about all things politics and local development. He is particularly passionate about seeing a thriving High Street.
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