St Martin’s House in Gillingham welcomes under 55s

Previously, Magna Housing’s Extra Care Housing Scheme was only able to offer three homes to under 55s, with the reminder available to customers over the age of 55. 

The new customers will move into their homes at St Martin’s House over the coming months.  

Joanne Martin, Director of Customer Operations at Magna says: “This is great news for our community at St Martin’s House. We’re grateful to Dorset Council and the local community for their help getting us to this point.  

“There are so many benefits of living in a diverse community. We know that people living in multi-generational communities tend to experience less loneliness, thanks to stronger social networks. It brings a whole range of other benefits too, including better mental health outcomes. 

“Although St Martin’s House has only been open a little over a year, it’s already a thriving community. Now, with our new arrivals, we expect it to become an even more vibrant and cohesive home for the people we support. We’re excited to welcome our new customers to St Martin’s over the next few weeks.” 

When planning consent was originally granted for St Martin’s House back in March 2021, only three flats were available to people with disabilities under the age of 55. Dorset Council and Magna came together to apply for a change and now 11 flats – 20 per cent of the capacity at St Martin’s House – are available to people under 55 who require care and support, although robust eligibility criteria remain in place.  

Councillor Gill Taylor, Cabinet Portfolio member for Housing and Health added: “Traditionally, extra care housing has been available for older people. But we are taking a more holistic approach and looking to support adults of any age that need the care and support services it can offer, assuming they meet the eligibility criteria.

“We’re delighted that we’re now able to offer more of these homes to the under 55s in Dorset.” 

St Martin’s House is run by Magna in partnership with Dorset Council and Care Dorset. It has 55-apartments available at social rent to local people. Each has its own kitchen and bathroom, a tablet to communicate with staff and neighbours, and an emergency call system. The apartments are designed to help people live independently for as long as possible, with care and support on hand.