The Brick, a leading UK charity addressing poverty and homelessness across Wigan and Leigh in Greater Manchester, has received a social investment loan of £1.93 million from Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC) alongside £400k of grant funding from Access Foundation’s Cost of Living Social Investment Support Fund* to buy properties to support people experiencing homelessness.
This loan from SASC’s Social and Sustainable Housing fund (SASH II) will enable The Brick to purchase 9 two-to-six-bedroom properties in Wigan and Leigh, giving them 40 units of supported accommodation for people transitioning out of homelessness.
The funding significantly enhances The Brick’s existing emergency and supported provision across 11 properties and 96 bed spaces currently.
In 2022 / 2023 The Brick directly supported 14,483 individuals across all services; and provided 8,161 emergency beds for 315 different people in housing crisis, 25 people with longer term, secure support accommodation and 19 young people with specialist accommodation. The Helpdesk received 2,963 requests for homelessness support.
Keely Dalfen, CEO of The Brick said: “The demand on our services in the last 12 months has been unprecedented. Every day we see the amazing resilience of the people we support who are experiencing poverty and homelessness, but the triple threat of a cost-of-living crisis, social care budget cuts and economic recession continues to make their lives increasingly hard.
“Taking on social investment to purchase properties will enable us to become more self-sufficient and have more control over the properties we have available for vulnerable people. Our accommodation is much more than a roof over a person’s head. Alongside having somewhere safe and secure to stay, our staff and volunteers work with residents to understand their hopes and ambitions, helping them to take the steps they need to achieve them. Our housing services are the first step in developing a strong support system for those experiencing homelessness in Wigan and Leigh.”
Mark Bickford, CEO of SASC said: “Wigan and Leigh are areas with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country, with a growing need for housing for people who are at risk or transitioning through homelessness.
“The Brick successfully moved into providing emergency and supported accommodation five years ago and has built up a strong record with excellent relationships with local commissioners.
“The SASH loan will enable them to become more financially sustainable and help many more homeless people by giving them a home and the person-centred support they need to give them the confidence to move on with their lives.”
SASH II launched in November 2022, supports charitable organisations that deliver a combination of support and housing to move from renting existing housing stock to owning it.
For more information on The Brick visit: www.thebrick.org.uk
*The £400k grant is from the Cost of Living Social Investment Support Fund, administered by the Access Foundation, to enhance the capacity of social investors to address the challenges posed by rising living costs in underserved communities affected by long-term economic decline.