An intergenerational Hackney housing development, which is named after an African-Caribbean Harlem Renaissance writer and journalist, has won a top housing award.
Anchor's Walrond House in Newington Green scooped up the Best Urban Regeneration Project award at the 2021 Inside Housing Development Awards on November 4.
The development was also a finalist in the Best Urban-London Development category.
Walrond House is named after writer and journalist Eric D Walrond who was part of the intellectual and cultural revival of African American arts, literature and politics in Harlem, New York in the 1920s and 30s.
Mr Walrond lived locally until his death in 1966. The housing scheme named after him consists of 72 residential apartments, of which 28 are affordable rent apartments for older people, 12 shared ownership and 32 outright sale non-age restricted apartments.
Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people living in later life, was delighted to be honoured at the awards which celebrate the very best residential developments across the UK.
Last month the development also took home the Small Development of the Year award at the 2021 HealthInvestor UK Senior Housing Awards.
Nick Hodgskin, senior development manager at Anchor, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won Best Urban Regeneration Project at the Inside Housing Development Awards. This intergenerational project has had a huge impact on many different groups throughout the community.
“Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our colleagues at Anchor who create places where people love living in later life.”
The regeneration project also includes a new community resource centre, a public square and retail and commercial space.
The resource centre provides space for social enterprises including wellbeing initiatives, employment and skills training and after-school activities.
Working closely with Hackney Council, the Greater London Assembly and the local community, Anchor completed the project in August 2020.
For more information about Anchor visit www.anchor.org.uk
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