The Council has opened the new Family Welcome Centre (FWC) in Harold Hill.
The FWC is designed to provide safe, high-quality accommodation for local Havering families who would otherwise be placed in temporary housing, often outside the borough.
The purpose-built centre provides 74 self-contained homes for families, alongside on-site support services to help residents access housing, education and employment.
The development comes as councils across London face sustained pressure from rising homelessness and increasing use of temporary accommodation, particularly hotels and privately procured placements.
The FWC will primarily support local families to whom Havering Council already owes a housing duty – helping to reduce the need to place residents far away from their support networks, schools and jobs.
By increasing local provision, the Council aims to:
- Keep more Havering families within the borough
- Reduce disruption to children’s education
- Maintain access to health and support services
- Cut reliance on costly nightly-paid accommodation.
Unlike many temporary accommodation schemes that rely on leasing buildings from private providers, the FWC is located within a Council-owned asset.
This means the Council retains control of both the quality of the accommodation and the long-term value of the building.
Temporary accommodation can cost councils significant amounts each year. By accommodating families at the FWC, the Council can deliver a saving £1.7 million per year based on current averages.
Havering is working to reduce reliance on expensive placements, while providing a more stable and consistent standard of accommodation for families.
As well as providing homes, the centre includes space for support services, enabling staff to work directly with families to help them move towards longer-term housing.
Councillor Martin Lardner, Cabinet Member for Housing Demand, said:
“The Family Welcome Centre is about supporting Havering families who are already in housing need and to whom we owe a duty. Too often, that has meant placing people in hotels or far outside the borough, which is disruptive and very costly.
“By creating high-quality accommodation here in Havering, we can keep families closer to their schools, support networks and services.
“As part of the Council’s 100-day plan, we are working to reduce reliance on expensive temporary accommodation placements, while providing a more stable and consistent standard of accommodation for families.
“It’s a more stable and more responsible way of supporting residents at a difficult time.”
The FWC has been recognised within the building industry; being highly commended in the Social Housing Development of the Year (51-100 units) at The Bricks, and the FWC also achieved an “Excellent” score of 45/45 across all categories, Community, Environment, and Workforce, under the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
In addition, the FWC project has been honoured with a LABC Site Recognition Award, acknowledging outstanding standards of site management and build quality during construction.
The Family Welcome Centre forms phase one of the wider regeneration of Harold Hill which includes Farnham and Hilldene and Chippenham Road schemes, contributing to long-term investment in the area and improved services for residents.