As part of the BBC Radio 4 series, Costing the Earth, reporter Tom Heap visits ISO Spaces-manufactured Meath Court, Hope Gardens to discuss the strategic use of interim housing solutions to address the national housing supply problem. Tom chats to QED Property and explores how these solutions can play their part in achieving the Government’s new target of providing 300,000 new homes a year, sustainably.

A Greener Home For All

Our homes and their construction have a huge impact on the environment. The construction industry is estimated to contribute to 40% of worldwide energy use and in the UK alone the building sector uses more than 400 million tons of material a year, many of which have an adverse impact on the environment. Added to this is the impact on local air quality and green spaces and the energy used in heating, lighting and even furnishing new homes.

The government has set a target of 300,000 new homes a year to help solve the growing housing crisis but this figure is nearly double the current rate of building. So is there anyway we can solve the housing crisis without nearly doubling our emissions? Tom Heap sets out to find out where, what and how we could build affordable and green homes for all.

Listen to the episode here.

Meath Court, Hope Gardens

Providing comfortable accommodation for over 280 people facing homelessness in the London Borough of Ealing, Meath Court in Acton’s Hope Gardens became the largest temporary accommodation of its kind in the UK when it officially opened on 7 December 2017. Click here to read more about our shipping container housing project – the second development ISO Spaces manufactured for Ealing Council.