£6.25m contract awarded for homeless scheme

A CONTRACTOR has been appointed to deliver a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme to benefit the homeless.

Frank Haslam Milan has secured the £6.25m contract from housing and regeneration organisation Midlands Heart to build the scheme in the Snow Hill area of Birmingham city centre.

The former homeless hostel will be transformed into 92 apartments for both men and women ready to leave direct access accommodation such as overnight shelters.

FHM, which has an office in Coleshill, will begin work on site immediately with the development scheduled to complete late next year.

Midland Heart is working with the Homes and Communities Agency and Birmingham City Council to transform the facility to provide a service which it says “will set standards for services in the future”.

Chris Munday, managing director of care and support at Midland Heart, said: “Whilst direct access accommodation will continue to be available for those who need it, the plans for Snow Hill focus around additional services providing support and training opportunities.”

FHM managing director Fraser Mercer added: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Midland Heart to deliver a scheme which will operate as a blueprint for others in the future.”

Midland Heart owns and manages more than 32,000 homes and invests over £100m a year in neighbourhoods.

Midland Heart’s director of new business Carl Larter (left) and FHM’s managing director Fraser Mercer outside the former hostel.