Led · Equity · Oct 2022

Target Housing, established in 1990, is a charity and social landlord that provides accommodation and support to vulnerable and homeless people across Yorkshire and the Humber, including those with complex needs, ex-offenders, asylum seekers and people with mental health problems. The organisation currently manages around 865 properties and owns 96 of them. Target’s strategy is to grow its owned property portfolio to gain flexibility, retain income, and use equity to expand further. The latest £2m investment from Social and Sustainable Capital will fund the purchase and refurbishment of 16 one- and two-bedroom properties in Barnsley and Doncaster to house and support beneficiaries. Previous SASC loans helped fund the purchase of 47 houses across Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Hull. Target plans to use ownership of properties to switch between projects and adapt services to meet rising housing demand from commissioners and other partners. Target Housing operates under contracts to place vulnerable people, including homeless people, ex-offenders and those with complex needs, in supported accommodation. The charity recently re-won contracts in Sheffield and Doncaster and seeks to own properties to improve outcomes and quality assurance for beneficiaries. It has taken its first social investment—£3m from Social and Sustainable Capital’s Social and Sustainable Housing (SASH) fund—to purchase a further 30 one- and two-bedroom properties. Target says the funding will allow it to buy better-quality houses more quickly, expand its portfolio in chosen areas and help secure its future amid reduced funding streams. Taking on social investment was a learning curve, but Target reports that SASC guided and supported them through the process. The deal is aligned with the charity’s aim to have greater control over the properties it uses to deliver services to vulnerable people.

Led · Equity · Dec 2021

Homes for Good is a social enterprise lettings agency founded in 2013 by Susan Aktemel that buys, refurbishes and manages properties to provide safe, affordable homes for people unable to access social housing or at risk of homelessness. Tenants receive ongoing support from Homes for Good and its partners in addition to secure tenancies. The organisation currently manages more than 500 properties and owns 266 properties. The latest £3.5m investment will be used to purchase up to 50 properties in Glasgow and the west of Scotland and to refurbish them for tenants. Homes for Good aims to reach 1,000 properties under management by 2025. The model focuses on using patient capital and loans to scale property ownership alongside hands-on tenant support.

Led · Equity · Dec 2020

The Big Life Company is part of The Big Life group, a social enterprise delivering services across children and families, health and wellbeing, and skills and employment. Over 30 years the group has grown from a small community organisation and now works with more than 65,000 people a year in some of the most deprived areas in the north of England. Its Big Life Homes service provides high-quality, supported accommodation and offers housing outreach support workers for people who have experienced homelessness. Social and Sustainable Capital has invested £950K from its Community Investment Fund to enable the organisation to buy 15 homes and expand housing services in Liverpool. This is the first time the organisation will be able to buy and own properties, which Big Life says will allow it to offer better-quality homes than many private landlords. The funding is intended to reduce inequality of access to safe, supported accommodation and to help people address multiple disadvantages as part of broader recovery and independence work.

Led · Equity · Dec 2019

Brook delivers sexual health and wellbeing services and education, combining clinical provision with education programmes and a redeveloped online offer. The charity operates in 22 locations in England and delivers relationships and sex education in 43% of English local authorities. Since January 2019 its clinical services have seen more than 60,000 visits, over half a million young people have accessed its online help pages, 100,000 young people have benefitted from its education and wellbeing programmes, and 10,000 young women and girls have been engaged through its period poverty project. This year Brook extended its provision in Cornwall to people of all ages and launched an innovative digital offer to improve accessibility. The organisation is working with partners and local residents to codesign services to meet Cornwall’s needs and to support a recently awarded seven-year contract.

Led · Equity · Nov 2019

Active Prospects is an award-winning care organisation that purchases and manages homes and provides supported living for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, acquired brain injury and other complex needs. The organisation has established itself across Surrey as a leading provider and its services are rated 'good' by the Care Quality Commission. Active Prospects supports people to gain independence through housing and community-based support. It plans to purchase new homes in East Surrey in partnership with Surrey County Council and to acquire houses in West Sussex, expanding its geographical remit. The organisation delivered £8m of new-build, replacement and modernisation programmes over the last four years. Its wider strategic focus is to increase housing stock and build more of the right accommodation to meet people’s aspirations. The recent financing is intended to scale its housing placements and move people from long-stay institutions into community homes.