Almshouses are a charitable form of self-sufficient, low-cost community housing for local people in housing need. Thorngate provided its first almshouses in 1865 and continues to offer the highest standards of housing to those in need.
Thorngate chief executive Anne Taylor said the report is one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken into almshouses and highlights the vital role they can play in being part of a community and providing vital homes for older people both now and in the future.
“RICS Research Trust used our most recent developments in Gosport to highlight the important role almshouses, like Thorngate, play in the community and how, by working with a number of partners, we can secure the funding needed and the experts required to produce attractive, practical and aspirational homes for people.”
Anne said she was delighted that Thorngate was chosen to feature in such an important piece of research and acknowledged as a valuable solution to the issue of social housing which continues to dominate the national agenda.
The report highlights the distinct and valuable contribution almshouses make to housing older people and the fact that the almshouse movement is committed to adapting for the future.
“At Thorngate we are committed to developing more housing for people locally and this report’s findings are very timely in recommending that almshouses are included in the mix of future planning for older people and urging property professionals to think about almshouses when they are looking at new development sites,” said Anne.
Thorngate currently operates 124 sheltered flats for assisted living in Gosport and Anne said plans are underway to increase this number to meet rising demand in the area.
“We always have a waiting list for our sheltered accommodation and for 2021 will be looking at potential development sites to ensure that Thorngate continues as a successful almshouse charity and provide homes for those in need.”
You can read the full report here – available by kind permission of the RICS Research Trust.
