A shortage of care home places has prompted a council to consider new development models that will deliver more beds.
Councillors from Hertfordshire County Council have resolved to ask developers to build new care homes, with the local authority currently facing a deficit of over 800 care home places across the next six years.
According to the council, the shortfall means that buying placements could cost up to £18m annually by 2032, due to an increased reliance on placements situated outside of the county.
As a result, the local authority has been advised to consider a social investment model (SIM) to support the construction of new homes, as per the recommendations of a cabinet panel.
The model would see investors or developers fund housebuilding, while the council would be responsible for taking long leases on the homes and sub-letting the homes to care providers, with council costs being subsidised by the providers’ income.
Aims of the scheme include building six to eight new homes and 600 new beds – 150 to 200 of which would be accessible to residents, according to the BBC.
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