Lauren Martin and Jasmine Sparrow are to become the first owners of two new £100K Homes at Eden Square in Ely.
Lauren and Jasmine successfully applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council to be considered for the scheme which offers heavily discounted properties to people who live and work locally.
Lauren, 26, works as a healthcare assistant in the Ely Community Diagnostic Centre at the Princess of Wales Hospital and Jasmine, 19, is a fitness instructor and personal trainer at Atrium Fitness in Ely. Both are currently living at home with their parents.
£100K Homes is a pioneering initiative designed to give local people who may be struggling to get onto the housing ladder the opportunity to buy a high-quality home for the heavily discounted price of £100,000. This enables people to continue living in the thriving city and benefit from its key travel links and vibrant amenities. The £100K Homes are 100% owned by residents. When the properties are eventually sold on, the same level of discount and rules around local ownership are applied.
The new development at Eden Square occupies the former Paradise Pool site. It comprises 13 eco-friendly architect-designed homes – all carefully crafted to complement Ely’s rich heritage and surrounding fenland countryside. Of these, 4 have been set aside as affordable £100K Homes.
They have been built by Palace Green Homes, which is part of East Cambs Trading Company (ECTC), and was set up by the council to help address the housing shortage in the district. Since 2016 Palace Green Homes has delivered 183 homes, 48 of which are affordable housing units delivered through Community Land Trusts, enabling people to live and work locally.
The council received over 70 applications for the four properties, proving demand for affordable housing across the area remains high. Each of the £100K Homes now has a buyer.
Lauren said: “I have always wanted to move out by myself but as a single person on an NHS wage and to stay in Ely near to my family would probably be bordering on the impossible. I am just so grateful to have been picked. It will enable me to do what I want, when I want for the first time. I love the location close to town and to my work and the view of the cathedral is incredible. I am so grateful.”
Jasmine added: “I have always lived in Ely – my mum and dad and my grandparents are here but I never thought I could afford to live here myself. Without this scheme in order to be able to afford to move out I would have had to move miles away – away from my friends, my family and my job. This means I can stay close to everything and everyone I know.”
Cllr Anna Bailey, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I feel very strongly that people should not be forced to live away from the communities they have been brought up in and love simply because they cannot afford to live here.
“I am extremely proud of the fact that at East Cambridgeshire District Council we have worked tirelessly to come up with a range of initiatives all designed to help people who are struggling to get onto the housing ladder.
“These range from building affordable homes and working closely with Community Land Trusts to offering housing advice and taking ownership of the Housing Register at the council.
“It’s thanks to this hard work that people like Lauren and Jasmine can continue to live and work in the communities they call home.”
Eden Square is now 75% sold. The remaining properties can be viewed on the Cheffins’ website.