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Ephraim Court, our newest development of specially adapted mobility apartments, is near completion and reached a milestone moment this week with the Chief Rabbi affixing the Mezuzah on the front door at a small ceremony for supporters.
We are delighted to have secured a lead gift for the development from the Ephraim 1998 Charitable Trust. And the name Ephraim Court is in memory of the Trust’s founders, brothers Menashi (Morris) and Heskel (Harry) Ephraim.
Ephraim Court is our 8th building, in the heart of Mill Hill East, and will provide 30 one- and two-bedroom apartments for people with physical disabilities or vision impairments, as well as an overnight studio apartment for the on-site house manager and a range of communal facilities.
The apartments include accessible modern fitted kitchens and walk in shower rooms, spacious enough to accommodate wheelchairs. There are communal laundry facilities, with accessible machines for all to use, a lounge, small garden and roof terrace. There is parking for tenants which will enable those who drive to retain this aspect of their independence.
Alongside accessibility, sustainability has been a driving force in the design of this new development. An ambitious low carbon energy strategy has been incorporated into the design which includes the inclusion of air source heat pumps, solar panels and green and brown roofs.
Speaking at the event, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said:
“This is an amazing, wonderful occasion and I am so privileged to be part of this event. Seeing this building come to life – it is clear it is a labour of love that will enable people in our community to live independently with dignity.”
Lisa Wimborne, JBD Chief Executive said:
“We completed on the purchase of this building the very same week the country went into its first Covid lockdown. We had to put our plans on hold as we diverted all our resources into supporting our vulnerable tenants through such a challenging period.
There were moments during those first few weeks of Covid that I found myself questioning if people would survive this pandemic and we would need a new building. What we could never have foreseen in those early days was how the pandemic would be the start of ever-increasing demand for our housing.
Demand for our housing has increased by over 400% since the start of the pandemic. We now have over 130 households on our waiting list. This building is a much needed and welcome new addition to our portfolio.
Ephraim Court is a blueprint not just for future JBD buildings but for accessible housing here in the UK.”
Marc Gordon, JBD Chair, said:
“This event marks yet another milestone in this much needed development project. Over its lifetime, Ephraim Court will house hundreds of Jewish disabled people providing a safe home within a supportive community.
However, our work doesn’t end with the completion of this building. With demand so high, we know we can’t stop here. Just two miles down the road is our oldest building, Fairacres. Built for disability of 40 years ago, it is no longer suitable for today’s need and the building needs significant modernisation. Plans are in place to completely redevelop Fairacres transforming 29 small one-bedroom apartments into 40 bigger one and two bedroom apartments.”