Hope Housing Bridlington is one of over a hundred partners of the national charity, Green Pastures. Started by Pastor Pete Cunningham in Southport over 20 years ago, Green Pastures has grown from a single-location homelessness project to a nationwide charity supporting local enterprises such as ours.
At each stage of growth for Hope Housing Bridlington, when we are ready to house another three homeless people, we find a suitable property – usually a three-bedroomed terraced house not too far from the centre of town. Green Pastures gives us a checklist of things to look out for – a boiler with plenty of life left, suitability for putting in fire doors, an appropriate location and price. When we and they are happy, they negotiate the sale and buy the property. Once the sale goes through we have a month to convert it to a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO), installing fire doors and smoke alarms, decorate it and furnish it. We’re then at a stage to interview homeless people who have been referred to us and give them a home.
Because this is supported living, and the East Riding of Yorkshire Housing department is happy to work with us, the residents are able to claim an enhanced level of housing benefit. This enables us to rent the property from Green Pastures and enables them in turn to give a return to their investors and pay their own staff who are always available to help and support our project. There’s enough left over to pay for ongoing maintenance, utility bills in the communal parts of the house, and about half of the Housing Support Officer’s salary – we have to fundraise for the other half. The residents themselves pay a small service charge which pays for heat and light in their own rooms and their share of the TV licence and internet fees.
