Ahead of building work starting on Jewish Blind and Disabled's eighth home in the London area, chief executive Hazel Kaye says her team is already searching for additional sites to satisfy a growing waiting list.
Ms Kaye revealed this week that building work will begin on its latest property in Bushey in the summer, with completion scheduled for the latter part of 2017.
The new £6.7 million home will adjoin JBD's Cecil Rosen Court, which opened in 2014 and is at full capacity with 60 tenants in 42 one-bedroom flats. It will have 19 flats, four of them two-bedroom, which will suit individuals or couples with specialist needs. As with its homes in north London and the Redbridge area, residents will be supported in living independently. Although the new home will operate as a separate entity from the existing one, Ms Kaye said tenants would benefit from the social community built up in Cecil Rosen Court.
"We've also had amazing support from the local community, which has welcomed us with open arms. Bushey Synagogue runs Shabbat kiddushim here and volunteers from the shul visit regularly."
Just under half the funding has been raised for the project. "We're constantly saving for our next building as we know we need to grow. We know that Barnet and Hertfordshire are going to be the key areas of demand but it's hard to find suitable land."
Including couples, there are around 90 people on the charity's waiting list and Ms Kaye pointed out that new projects generated increased interest. "And as one-in-five people will be affected by physical disability or visual impairment at some point in their lives, the need is potentially huge. That's why we know that demand will only increase. It's so important that every-one who needs us knows about us."
JBD promotes itself in shul journals, liaises with medical surgeries and runs sessions in schools about living with disability.
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