We are an almshouse charity providing affordable accommodation – for individuals, couples and families – in housing need.
The Charity owns 53 homes – one, two and three bedroom almshouses – at More’s Meadow, just north of the village centre. 32 of these properties, a mix of houses and bungalows, date from the 1990s. The remaining 21 units, grouped in three terraces around a central green, were developed more recently and opened in 2023; see our new almshouses.
Our residents must have a strong connection to Great Shelford or the surrounding area – and be capable of independent living. The almshouses are not intended to be homes for life; residential agreements are reviewed every three years and we expect residents to move on as their circumstances change.
Almshouse residents are subject to different legal arrangements from private, council or housing association tenants. Residents are ‘appointees’, not tenants, live in the almshouse under licence, and pay a monthly maintenance contribution (MMC) rather than a rent. The Charity sets its MMC at 50% of the prevailing local market rental rate. There is no right-to-buy or shared equity, meaning that the Charity retains the homes in perpetuity for the benefit of the local community.
We do not hold a waiting list. When a property becomes available it is advertised within the village. Applicants may then contact our office for an application form.
Applications are initially processed by our partner, John Huntingdon’s Charity in Sawston. Applicants’ identities are removed before the forms are forwarded to our own directors for assessment. Those shortlisted are then invited to attend an informal interview.
The Charity is a member of the Almshouse Association.
Property management and maintenance is managed on our behalf by local agents, Redmayne Arnold & Harris.
