(image via flickr user menina1984)
Is it a sign of things to come for Los Angeles? As we gear up for the arrival of Tesco to Glassell Park and the OC, we look to London, where Tesco has taken matters in to its own hands by building housing for its employees, who would otherwise be priced out of London's pricey rental market. Via the BBC:
A spokeswoman for Tesco said they hoped the scheme would be "beneficial for staff retention" in London, where they suffer from a high turnover of workers. She added: "It is being led in London because there is more need for affordable housing... the sites in London are more constrained so you need to be a lot more imaginative."
If the London test-case is successful, the affordable housing program may spread to other Tesco developments. As one of the least affordable cities in the US, and the entry point for Tesco into the US market, it will be interesting to see if Tesco-ites will also get the benefit of being housed in company lofts around Los Angeles.
· Tesco to build homes for workers [BBC]
· The British Are Coming (And We Don't Mean Becks) [Curbed LA]
· Supermarket Roundabout: Tesco On the Move [Curbed LA]