Mendip offers units built for older people to over-18s with a support need - Chloë Stothart I/H 4/12/09
A Somerset housing association has opened up all of its sheltered schemes to teenagers.
Mendip Housing Association has made the change in 21 schemes that were designed for people aged 55 and older. It will now accept tenants over 18 if they have a support need.
Most of the younger tenants have learning disabilities. Others have mental health or physical problems.
Stuart Hines, supported housing manager at the association, said it had opened the schemes to any adult with a support need. He said Mendip had a large number of older tenants who did not need support but had moved in case they developed problems later in life, while there were younger people who needed supported housing and could not get it.
Hines said: ‘We felt we were receiving funding for people who weren’t receiving support, so we said people had to have an assessed support need.’
The move was part of broader changes to Mendip’s sheltered housing services, including a shift from resident to visiting wardens.
Elaine Penton, a member of Mendip’s tenants’ forum, said the youngest tenant was in their late 20s. She added: ‘Some older people were worried. But it has worked wonderfully. We have had younger people doing shopping for someone older.’
Imogen Parry, director of policy at sheltered housing providers’ group the Essential Role of Sheltered Housing, said such a low age limit
was unusual.
