An award-winning care home business in Devon has opened up opportunities for older people to rent affordable houses in the area despite a countywide shortage.
The opportunities come after plans for 8,000 affordable homes to be built in Devon was axed earlier this year.
According to the National Housing Association, Exeter Council have axed plans for 3,000 homes in the area.
The NFA claim that after the government scrapped house building targets in the Devon area local authorities had “torn up plans” to build affordable homes.
Now PSP Healthcare, which operates the £10 million Hatherleigh Village, along with seven care homes in the South West and Wales, have pledged to help older people rent affordable houses.
The company have started to accept housing benefit payments on one bed properties in a bid to help people afford retirement living and on top of that will come up with a way to break monthly rental fees into lower instalments.
Operations director Wayne Shermon said: “As a company we realise that affordable housing is becoming really hard to come across especially for those wanting to retire.
“After hearing about the government cuts in building affordable housing in Devon we really wanted to do something to help people overcome the difficulties in being able to afford somewhere to live.
“That is why we are now offering seven five-star properties to older people at an affordable price.”
In the West Devon Borough area alone there are currently 1,065 households on the waiting list for affordable housing. At current letting rates this will take more than seven years to clear.
