The UK's first "women-only" tower block will open in west London next summer, providing a "lifeline" to women and survivors of domestic abuse struggling to find a home.
Brook House in Acton will offer 102 "genuinely affordable" social rented flats exclusively for women when construction completes.
The development represents a "UK first" in providing homes solely for women, addressing safety and security concerns for vulnerable female residents - however, critics have pointed out that trans women will also be able to live in the block.
Council Leader Peter Mason said the homes will be for women "disproportionately affected by crisis", with some flats allocated to those who have experienced domestic abuse.
The UK's first women-only tower block will open in west London next summer
|EALING COUNCIL
The specialist accommodation aims to provide safe, secure housing for single women facing London's affordable housing crisis.
The new block will replace an old 39-home estate on Gunnersbury Lane, opposite Acton Town station.
Rent will cost, on average, less than a quarter of private sector rates for equivalent properties in the area.
Construction is being carried out by L&Q, with the first residents expected to move in shortly after completion next summer.
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Brook House in Acton will offer 102 "genuinely affordable" social rented flats exclusively for women when construction completes
|EALING COUNCIL
The original Brook House estate was built over 90 years ago, with additional blocks added in the 1970s.
Ealing Council said many of these homes were no longer fit for modern living standards and were not suitable for refurbishment.
The development will provide a mixture of tenants from the council's waiting list and residents put forward by Women's Pioneer Housing, which will manage the site.
Ealing Council currently has more than 600 single women on its waiting list and over 8,000 households in the borough waiting for a home.
The development will provide a mixture of tenants from the council's waiting list and residents put forward by Women's Pioneer Housing
|EALING COUNCIL
Women's Pioneer Housing, founded in 1920 by suffragists, manages around 1,000 properties in West London and aims to offer single women access to "safe, secure, and affordable homes and services".
Peter Mason noted that "almost 3,500 cases of domestic abuse were recorded in Ealing in the last 12 months".
He added: "London's affordable housing crisis disproportionately impacts women, who still face a gender pay gap that sees them on average earn less than men, constraining their ability to afford rent."
Tracey Downie, Chief Executive at Women's Pioneer Housing, said: "This new building will provide a real home for many single women in dire need."