I feel 100% happier, safer and healthier in my new home, it's helped to turn my life around
A Blackpool mum has praised an impactful council housing initiative for helping turn her life around, saying that she feels ‘100% happier, safer and healthier’.
Blackpool Housing Company (BHC), established in 2015 by Blackpool Council, was set up to tackle long-standing housing issues in the town, where many former guesthouses and holiday flats had fallen into poor-quality private rented accommodation.
Sign up for our Blackpool Gazette retro newsletter - warm nostalgia delivered to your inbox - weekly.
At the time, many residents were living in unstable and substandard housing, often moving between temporary properties. Ten years on, the company says it has helped to change that picture by delivering improved homes and more stable tenancies.
‘I feel so much better’
Tenant Katie was living with her son in an unsuitable, badly maintained house for five years. Her physical and mental health were suffering and she was in and out of hospital.
BHC purchased the house she was living in in 2021 and moved her into a newly renovated My Blackpool Home property which she has now lived in for four years. Katie says: “My Blackpool Home helped to turn my life around.
Join our Blackpool Gazette WhatsApp group to get all the top stories delivered straight to your phone
“I feel 100% happier, safer and healthier. I feel supported and I can trust my home is a safe place to live for me and my family. Any issues I have are fixed quickly and that means the world to me. I feel so much better.”
BHC operates mainly within the private rented sector, focusing on Blackpool’s inner wards. It acquires empty or run-down properties and redevelops them to a higher standard, aiming to improve both housing quality and neighbourhoods.
Through its “My Blackpool Home” lettings and management service, the company provides housing for local residents, alongside support to help tenants maintain their tenancies and access services.
‘I can finally focus on the future’
Laura, like many other tenants has a similar story to Katie’s. She said: “Before moving into My Blackpool Home, I was in a small place that didn’t meet my needs, especially with a young baby. I felt overwhelmed and unsure I’d find somewhere safe and stable.
“Since moving in June 2022, everything has changed for the better. I now have a safe, comfortable home, my confidence has grown, and I can finally focus on the future. My landlord is brilliant — always quick, professional and helpful.”
One of its earliest schemes saw the former Malibu and Astoria hotels, one damaged by fire and the other linked to anti-social behaviour, converted into 20 apartments. The redevelopment removed unsafe extensions, restored original features and brought the buildings back into use.
Reducing crime and improving community cohesion
Larger regeneration projects have also been delivered. In Queens Park, five tower blocks and 12 maisonette blocks were demolished and replaced with 191 new homes. The redevelopment has been linked to reduced crime and improved community cohesion, with government data indicating a fall in deprivation levels.
At Foxhall Village, 7.7 hectares of brownfield land have been transformed into around 300 homes, including affordable rental properties and homes for sale, along with green spaces.
BHC has also supported the development of 133 energy-efficient council homes at Grange Park, all built to high environmental standards, with features including solar panels and heat source pumps aimed at reducing energy costs for residents.