Twelve families are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas in their new Clanmil homes at Alloa Street, north Belfast. 

The new residents moved in at the end of November and one family, the Herrons, were particularly excited to move in, having waited six years for their perfect home.  

Anthony and Claire and their son Curtis were delighted to get the keys to their new home, which has been designed and built especially for 16-year old Curtis who uses a wheelchair.  

This week the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons, visited the family as they settled into their new home.  

He said:
“It was very uplifting to meet with the Herron family and see their delight at their new home. The scheme, whilst small in scale, has made a huge difference to the lives of all the new tenants. I am committed to ensuring that we continue to deliver more quality homes for those who need them.”  

Anthony Herron said the family are delighted to finally have a home that’s suitable for Curtis: 
“It means so much to us to finally have a place to call home after we waited for so long. We’ve watched practically every brick being built and we can’t quite believe we’re finally here. We’re really looking forward to spending our first Christmas in our new home, and we’re so grateful to Clanmil and everyone else involved for making our dreams come true.” 

Carol McTaggart, Clanmil Group Chief Executive, added 
“It is wonderful to see the Herrons and all of the families settling into their new homes in Alloa Street.  At Clanmil,  we want to keep delivering more new homes like these to help address the growing housing need in Northern Ireland where there are more than 48,000 people waiting for a home. We wish all the new residents a very happy Christmas and hope they have many happy years ahead in their new homes.” 

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray commented: 
“I am delighted to have met the Herron family today, as well as some of the people involved in bringing these fantastic homes to this part of the city. Having a roof over your head and a place to call home means everything, especially at this time of the year. I wish everyone all the best in their new homes and hope they enjoy being part of this vibrant community.”    

Afterwards, Santa visited some of the younger residents to deliver Christmas treats generously provided by developers Kelly Brothers.   

The total cost of the homes is £2.6m including grant funding of £1.6m from the Department for Communities through the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. 

The homes were allocated to people on the social housing waiting list and include three two-bedroom houses, seven three-bedroom houses, one three-bedroom wheelchair accessible bungalow and one two-bedroom wheelchair accessible bungalow.     

Constructed to Lifetime Homes standards to ensure they can be adapted if people’s needs change over time, the homes also have safety and security features been built into the design and construction, with enhanced lighting and security measures.  

Other guests at the event included Brian Kingston, MLA for north Belfast and Barbara McIlwrath, Chair of Lower Oldpark Community Association