Meres and Mosses Housing Association (MMHA) has welcomed its first new home owners under a scheme to help people with local connections to get on the property ladder in North Shropshire.
For Gary and Vikki Jones, and their two year old son, it is a dream come true.
They have bought 50per cent of their home in Millbrook Drive, Shawbury, near Shrewsbury, with MMHA under a New Build Home Buy scheme.
Vikki works in a local nursery in the village, while Gary, an administrator at Stoke Heath. Their 2-bed home is one of three built to be sold under the New Build Home Buy Scheme in Shawbury.
Gary said : "It's fantastic to have the opportunity to own our own home and raise our family in the area where we work and have lived all our lives, which we would otherwise be unable to do if this shared ownership scheme wasn't available."
MMHA took over responsibility for 2,300 homes from North Shropshire District Council last year. It is part of the Shropshire Housing Group which is planning to build a total of 500 affordable homes by 2012.
Jennie Barfoot (MMHA MD), Managing Director of MMHA said: “Communities need local people to both live and work in them if they are to thrive. Schemes such as New Build Home Buy are part of a package of affordable housing measures we are bringing to north Shropshire. These also include building new and highly energy efficient properties to let and to sell under equity mortgage schemes.
“More properties will shortly be completed in Hadnall, near Shrewsbury later this year and will include properties to rent and buy.
“We are also in the process of upgrading many of our existing properties under a £30m improvement package.”
For further information please contact MMHA Managing Director Jennie Barfoot on 0800 4346289.
Notes for editors.
· Meres and Mosses Housing Association took over 2,300 properties from North Shropshire District Council on July 30 2007.
· A £30m program of improvements to existing homes is underway.
· Meres and Mosses is part of the Shropshire Housing Group which also includes South Shropshire Housing Association and the property maintenance specialists Total Response Ltd. Together they own and manage more than 4,000 properties throughout Shropshire and Herefordshire.