Church unveils ambitious £500k housing and community centre project for Black Country town
A Black Country church has unveiled ambitious plans to convert a derelict building into bedsits and a community hall at a cost of £500,000.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The New Testament Church of God Willenhall Tabernacle won the green light to create 11 bedsits to provide extra housing and function rooms for family events and community activities at the adjacent former Chamberlain Unionist Club building in Upper Lichfield Street in Willenhall.
The church said it wants to set the record straight over the idea behind the scheme after attracting online criticism over the housing element of the development which will comprise nine self-contained bedsits and two bedsits with a shared kitchen.
Senior minister the Rev Roger Maynard explained: "From the social media reaction, people seem to think we are creating a big HMO (house of multiple occupation) development, but it's not going to be like that at all in the contemporary sense of the term. We just want to set the record straight and explain that we're here to help the community, we are a church and a non-profit organisation.
"The accommodation will be bedsits in the traditional sense of the word and will be rented to tenants to help address housing needs in the community to help the homeless or people who are having difficulty finding somewhere to live. There is a lack of housing everywhere and we just want to do our little bit to alleviate it and to enhance our community facilities at the same time.
