Shared Ownership helped Justine and Tag secure a new family home after being priced out on the open market!
After a series of unfortunate events including a marital breakdown and health problems, Justine and Tag were forced to sell their home they shared with Justine’s son for the last 14 years. With limited money from the sale of the home and being priced out by private renting costs in the local area, Justine and Tag were forced to live in a caravan for three months.
Justine said ‘it was a real low point for us. We had always worked hard and paid our mortgage and bills and here we were unable to get a mortgage and living in a caravan’.
After sharing their frustrations with friends, they heard about the Shared Ownership scheme. After searching new build developments in the local area and carrying out their own research into Shared Ownership, Tag and Justine came across the Cookley Works development, located in Brierley Hill.
In May 2024, they moved into their brand-new home they were able to buy through Shared Ownership. Justine said ‘it was such a happy day when we finally got the keys to our new home. Having been effectively homeless it felt so food to be able to put down roots and welcome our friends and family into our new space’.
Tag said ‘I can’t describe how getting this house has changed our lives. We thought we would never be able to get a home of our own. We had never heard of Shared Ownership before; it has been an absolute lifeline for us'.
The Cookley Works development consisted of 71 new build homes in Brierley Hill, with 31 being bought through the Shared Ownership scheme. The development formed part of a £5 million investment project funded by the local council to regenerate the local area and address the housing needs of the community.
