A new development offering ground-breaking extra care and general needs housing was opened by Margaret Burgess MSP, Scotland’s Minister for Housing and Welfare, this week.
The Dovecot development is the result of a £7.89million project delivered by Eildon Housing Association in partnership with Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish Government.
It features 59 two-bedroom flats, 37 of which form the Borders’ first extra care housing facility, Dovecot Court.
Designed to enable older people to live as independently as possible in their own homes, Dovecot Court’s self-contained extra care flats each have two bedrooms, a private living room, kitchen and bathroom with wet floor shower. The homes follow dementia-friendly design principles, with care and support staff available 24 hours a day.
Twenty-two general needs flats on nearby Dovecot Road are built to ‘housing for varying needs’ standards, which allow for adaptations should tenants’ needs change.
The development is of national importance and special interest in the field of health, housing and social care.
Ms Burgess said: “This extra care housing is a significant development for the Borders which together with the adjacent general needs housing has benefitted from almost £4 million of Scottish Government funding.
“I welcome the close partnership working across both housing and social care partners which has helped to deliver this superb development.”