More than 200 homeless people in Ealing will be housed before Christmas after a block of shipping container homes were unveiled on Thursday (December 7).
Meath Court, in Acton’s Hope Gardens, will soon provide emergency accommodation to more than 280 people in 60 units of converted shipping containers.
According to Ealing Council , Meath Court was previously an “underused site” which had been identified for long-term development after 2024, when it will become a public park.
However, due to the “unprecedented and chronic demand” for housing, the local authority decided to use the site for temporary accommodation in the interim.
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With more than 2,200 families in desperate need of a home in the borough, leader of Ealing Council Julian Bell said this is a “superb response” to a growing problem.
“I think Hope Gardens is the right name for this place because it really will provide hope for families who are in really challenging circumstances,” he said.
“Across London we know there is a housing crisis, driven by some of the welfare reform changes and benefit caps putting real pressure on families.
“People are coming to us as a council and there’s real pressure to find them somewhere to live in that emergency homelessness situation that they find themselves in.
“For me, Meath Court is a fabulous way of tackling something that is a real problem - more than 200 people are now going to have a home before Christmas.”
The development, built by QED Sustainable Urban Developments, includes 32 two-bedroom and 20 one-bedroom homes, and eight studios.
Each of these is kitted out with its own kitchenette, shower room and front door.
Meath Court is the second block of container homes to be built in Ealing this year, with Hanwell’s Marston Court housing homeless residents since March 2017.
Ross Gilbert, managing director of QED Sustainable Urban Developments, said real steps are being taken towards thinking differently about how emergency housing is provided.
He said: “This site is going to be a public park and will be part of a 53-acre regeneration site that is coming in line over the next 10 to 15 years.
“What we were able to do in the meantime was take about a seven-year time period and bring in Meath Court, which will provide emergency accommodation for those in need.”
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