Parents demand housing for children of Telford ‘before we die’
Parents and carers want to see more homes built for their disabled children in Newport so they can rest assured there is somewhere their offspring can live in the community after they die.
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A group of parents and young people turned out to a recent council meeting to find out if there has been any progress – and were told that solutions “will take time”.
Liz Bickford-Smith told the council that there is a need for appropriate accommodation in Newport.
“What progress has been made and what plans does the council have to develop supported living for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties within safe walking distance of Newport town centre and its facilities?”
Councillor Kelly Middleton (Lab, Woodside), the Cabinet Member for Public Health & Healthier Communities, said demand for such housing in Telford has risen by 20 per cent, which is greater than the national average.
But the council has a commitment to securing such accommodation in its local plan, she added.
She said that in 2023-24 the council saw the development of 53 individual housing units for 53 individuals on seven sites across the borough.
“We realise the importance of continuing with the effort,” she said, but added that “it will take time.”
Parents who turned out in numbers at last Thursday’s meeting of the full council said it is a vital issue but they “haven’t got anywhere” with their calls for help.
“It needs something now,” said one. “We have people who are in their 70s and their children will need somewhere to live when their parents die.”
Another said: “We have been campaigning with MPs and councillors to get something done.”
The council’s website describes supported housing / living as a term that is applied to a wide range of housing-based solutions. People in supported housing have diverse and sometimes complex needs, requiring different levels of support in various types of accommodation.
The purpose of supported housing / living is to enable people to live as independently as possible within their community, with a real focus on social inclusion.
