This document summarizes how a mental health organization used funding from the EPCGP program to purchase housing and provide homes for vulnerable individuals with mental health issues. It describes the stories of Sue and Ron who benefited from stable housing. The organization faced challenges but overcame concerns about risk and inexperience through leveraging partnerships and expertise. They purchased multiple properties and renovated them. The impact was positive, with service users reporting improved safety, warmth, acceptance and ability to contribute. The organization concluded that providing housing was worth the effort due to its life-changing impact.

1. EPCG Programme
Why housing?
How did we do it?
What about impact?
Would we do it again??

2. Sue’s story…
•A long time service user with chronic
mental health problems
•Lived with her adult son in private
rented accommodation
•Sub-standard housing, in need of
repair
•Spiralling debt
•Victimisation and bullying
“Everything just became too much
for me”

3. Ron’s story…
•Came to us as a volunteer from HMP
Kirklevington
•Long term mental health problems
•Found new confidence, learned new
skills
•In April 2014, upon release, relocated
to sunny Redcar!
•No suitable 1 bed accommodation
•We needed a solution
“I couldn’t live in a hostel, it would
kill me. I wouldn’t survive”

4. Why did we do it?
Opportunity knocks… a chance conversation across the kitchen table
Why couldn’t we provide homes for Sue and Ron?

5. The Pros…
• Service users in housing difficulty
• Housing expertise already on our
Board
• Service users could influence our
decision making
• We can build our asset base
• With assets we can secure other
funding to deliver services

6. And the Cons…
• We’re a mental health organisation,
not a housing provider!
• Were we too small?
• Inexperienced in housing
• We have to borrow when we are
already financially insecure…….
RISK?????
• Persuading my trustees we were on
to something good

7. How did we do it?
• £183,050 in Round 2 to
provide 7 bedrooms
• Purchased our first
property in Sept 2013
• March 2014 brought us
a Victorian treasure! 4
apartments in the
making….

8. How did we do it?
• £130,000 of
underspend, October
2014; harder to access
and needed to lobby
• 2 more houses
purchased from RCBC
• But took forever to
negotiate!
• Bureaucratic...

9. We used EPCGP as leverage.....
£35K grant
Gardens Revitalised
£2K philanthropic
contribution
£4K CHIEF
development grant
£42K secured loan
Additional workforce from… and…

10. We used EPCGP as leverage.....

11. And to tap into expertise and advice.....
Helped us to
“go for it”
Enthused and inspired us Made a complex
process “pain free”
Local knowledge was
gold dust!
Leadership in the
locality
Not easy to engage
with as a newbie!

12. The movers and shakers.....
Sam Groves…
Little lady, big
influence! Top
string puller…
Maximise your partnerships and local
intelligence. They’re worth their weight in
George Conroy…
The man from Del
Monte! Said “no”
more than he said
“yes” though…
Jade Wright…
RCBC hotline
for help! Kept
us out of
trouble…

13. What about impact?
“I’m safe, warm
and accepted”“Now I have somewhere
to live I can work and give
something back”
“Maybe my family will
come and see me now”
“I can’t wait to move
into a real home”
• Funding: Easy access to
capital funding impacts
on the lives of real
people. Needs to be
embedded in policy
• Influencing: We’ve built
our profile and networks
as a voice for the
vulnerable
• Improving: We’ve made
an environmental impact
within local communities
• Changing lives: for Ron,
Sue, Craig and Les

14. Would we do it again?
ABSOLUTELY!
Our ultimate aim is to achieve
better outcomes for vulnerable
people who need a home…
Housing is a right!