CURO Housing blatantly ignores its charitable remit to provide "affordable & decent housing for those in housing need" by spending £50,000 of tenants rental income to provide holiday lets for the rich.
Bath’s largest social housing landlord is branching out into catering for the city’s tourists with a new selection of holiday flats.
Curo has opened its first holiday let – a one-bedroom flat at 3 Sydney Place – which comes fully furnished with a television and DVD player, wi-fi, iPod docking station, a fitted kitchen, private garden and its own parking space.
The one-bedroom ground-floor flat is available for a week’s rental for £700, or for a three-night stay for £450.
Chief executive of Curo, Victor da Cunha, said the conversion was about making the most of its affordable social housing.
He said the flat’s layout and the cost of heating it all year round made it impractical for tenants on low incomes.
Mr da Cunha said: “Bath’s status as a top city break destination has enabled Curo to explore whether, by using our properties as holiday lets – we can generate income to help offset our £179m debts.
“If this project is successful it will mean we can avoid selling properties which would otherwise not be viable for Curo to retain.”
The flat has already had its first guests and has received a four-star Gold Standard by Quality in Tourism, the assessment service for Visit England.
Mr da Cunha said the charity planned to convert, or sell, 600 more of its high value Georgian properties into holiday lets over the next few years, and added that they could be used to help train people wanting to pursue a future in tourism.
Curo has opened its first holiday let – a one-bedroom flat at 3 Sydney Place – which comes fully furnished with a television and DVD player, wi-fi, iPod docking station, a fitted kitchen, private garden and its own parking space.
The one-bedroom ground-floor flat is available for a week’s rental for £700, or for a three-night stay for £450.
Chief executive of Curo, Victor da Cunha, said the conversion was about making the most of its affordable social housing.
He said the flat’s layout and the cost of heating it all year round made it impractical for tenants on low incomes.
Mr da Cunha said: “Bath’s status as a top city break destination has enabled Curo to explore whether, by using our properties as holiday lets – we can generate income to help offset our £179m debts.
“If this project is successful it will mean we can avoid selling properties which would otherwise not be viable for Curo to retain.”
The flat has already had its first guests and has received a four-star Gold Standard by Quality in Tourism, the assessment service for Visit England.
Mr da Cunha said the charity planned to convert, or sell, 600 more of its high value Georgian properties into holiday lets over the next few years, and added that they could be used to help train people wanting to pursue a future in tourism.
