A leading property developer, has broken ground on the almshouse development in Blackfriars, writes Tom Appleby…
Almshouses are independent, low-cost housing units, designed for older people who have limited financial means. This scheme named 220 Blackfriars will provide 64 first-rate, affordable homes for people over 55 so that they can live self-sufficiently.
The new project by developer JTRE London and owned by Southwark Charities will increase the number of affordable homes on the site by 156%. Although typically a horseshoe shape, the almshouse will be constructed as a residential tower to fit in more housing units. The site will also possess shared spaces, a garden and a community centre.
There will be a floor of offices for charities which will be rented out at an affordable price plus 5% of the rent will be reinvested to Southwark Charities to be distributed back to older people in the area.
It is hoped that by providing homes for older people homes in the borough, Southwark will better meet targets for housing families in the borough. It is estimated that each time an elderly person downsizes from a family-house, two homes are freed up on the housing chain.
This is the second almshouse that JTRE London has developed in Southwark. The first, Appleby Blue, was awarded the 2025 Stirling Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects, the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.
A ceremony took place to mark the first of building work attended by future residents and a time capsule was also prepared for the site, containing photography, artwork and written reflections on Southwark’s past and future.
If you would like to find out more about 220 Blackfriars, please visit www.220blackfriars.london, or for more information about Edward Edward’s House, please go to www.southwarkcharities.co.uk.
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