Edinburgh charity receives £5m to help 30 homeless people buy their own houses

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Simon Community Scotland has received a cash investment from the Social and Sustainable Housing fund to help vulnerable people move away from homelessness.

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Demand for homes in the Capital currently exceeds the available properties and around 500 people are living in temporary accommodation.

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The housing fund, run by the Social and Sustainable Capital and partly funded by a £1 million commitment from Edinburgh University will help 30 homeless people become tenants.

The properties will be purchased over the next 18 months.The properties will be purchased over the next 18 months.
The properties will be purchased over the next 18 months.

Chief Executive of Simon Community Scotland Lorraine McGrath said the properties will be purchased over the next 18 months.

She said: “Our mission is to end rough sleeping and provide solutions for the many who are currently spending too long in temporary accommodation.

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“The loan from SASC will be transformative for them. Over the next 18 months, we will purchase properties that will help people build new lives in high-quality, affordable tenancies, with access to the support they need.”

“Thanks to SASC we will increase the impact for people we support. If the model is successful, we hope to be an example for other charities involved in housing to access social investment too.”

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener at Edinburgh City Council Councillor Kate Campbell said this project will provide safe and settled homes for vulnerable people.

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She said: “This announcement is a fantastic step that will enable them to buy properties, providing safe, secure and settled homes for some of our most vulnerable residents. I hope this inspiring example of social investment can become a template for future initiatives.”

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