Impact of EHCGP - Veronica Harnett - R&C Mind

EPCG ProgrammeWhy housing?

How did we do it?

What about impact?

Would we do it again??

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”

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”

Why did we do it?Opportunity knocks… a chance conversation across the kitchen table

Why couldn’t we provide homes for Sue and Ron?

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

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

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….

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...

We used EPCGP as leverage.....

£35K grant

Gardens Revitalised£2K philanthropic

contribution

£4K CHIEF development grant

£42K secured loan

Additional workforce from… and…

We used EPCGP as leverage.....

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!

The movers and shakers.....

Sam Groves…Little lady, big influence! Top string puller…

Maximise your partnerships and localintelligence. 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…

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

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!