Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has officially opened a new £1.3million new build, supported housing scheme for adults with learning disabilities at Adelaide Avenue, Coleraine.

The new homes comprising 10 x 1 bedroom self-contained apartments and 2 x 2 bedroom shared apartments, including two ground floor wheelchair accessible flats, replaces the former Lerwill House which was demolished to make way for the new development. It was provided by Triangle Housing Association with part funding from the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department for Social Development.

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Speaking after meeting with residents and officials from Triangle Housing Association, Minister McCausland said: "This is a magnificent scheme, a welcome improvement to the accommodation from Lerwill House that went before and was no longer fit for purpose. Schemes like this make a huge difference to the daily lives of some of our most vulnerable people and provide opportunities for residents to have a more independent lifestyle, while still benefitting from continual care and support of dedicated staff.

"The provision of a decent home for everyone, including supported housing, is one of my key objectives as Housing Minister. I want to ensure that everybody has a home that is suited to their own specific needs and have been most impressed by what I have seen during my viewing of this new development. I will continue through the Social Housing Development Programme to make provision for more schemes such as this."

(CD/MH)