IMPACT THEME: Housing and Homelessness; Health, Wellbeing and Social Care; Poverty and Disadvantage

WHAT THEY DO: Golden Lane Housing (GLH) works with people with a learning disability or autistic people to provide supported housing around which they can build their lives.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1998

LOCATION: Nationwide

PARTNERSHIP DATE:  December 2023

PARTNERSHIP PURPOSE: To buy nine properties for GLH, most of them in Oxfordshire, a mix of shared homes and one-bed flats.

FUND PARTNERSHIP: Resonance Supported Homes Fund

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

ABOUT: Golden Lane Housing is one of the county’s leading supported housing landlords for people with a learning disability or autism. Their mission is to help people with a learning disability or autistic people find and enjoy a suitable, safe home with support. GLH works in partnership with more than 150 support providers to ensure people have access to the support they need to live independently in their homes and communities. 

 Their work includes:

•  Providing high-quality tailored rented housing to support a person’s specific needs across the UK. 
• Helping families to make long-term plans using legacies & family trusts.
• Advocating for changes to housing-related issues for individuals with autism or learning disabilities.
• Maintaining over 1,200 properties
• Providing 24-hour emergency helpline

PURPOSE OF PARTNERSHIP: The partnership between Golden Lane Housing and the Resonance Supported Homes Fund has provided a solution to the desperate housing shortage that leaves thousands of adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues living in inappropriate housing, or on long waiting lists for housing.

By purchasing and refurbishing properties with Golden Lane housing and their tenants, who importantly, also have a voice in the property purchase decision-making, each home is tailored to fit each tenant's often complex needs. Properties are intentionally purchased at the heart of local communities, close to local amenities, such as shops and GP surgeries, good public transport and support services and networks, including friends and family. This provides tenants with secure, suitable housing with specialist support enabling them to gain independence and exercise choices in their lives.

THE RESONANCE SUPPORTED HOMES FUND:

• Launched July 2020
• Aims to purchase up to 275 properties and provide up to 500 people with learning disability and autism with long-term homes over the fund’s lifetime

Abdul Latif, Director of Development and Growth: “I am very pleased that Golden Lane Housing and the Resonance Supported Homes Fund have created this important strategic relationship. The need to house people with learning disabilities and autistic people is greater than ever and this partnership will allow us to address some of that need. The specialised supported housing sector has continued to evolve, and providers need to show their rents are transparent and justifiable. This strategic relationship will contribute towards the positive journey for the sector. This opportunity demonstrates the need for investors and funds to work with good, compliant, and reputable housing providers to ensure sustainability of their investment and income streams.”

John Verge, Chief Executive of Golden Lane Housing: “We are delighted to be working with Resonance and its Supported Homes Fund. Resonance has a long-proven ability in the homelessness sector of sourcing properties that are suitable for tenants and long-term operational partnerships with other housing associations. The work Golden Lane Housing and the fund will be carrying out together, will ensure it contributes to addressing the great need for supported housing for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.”

READ THE FUND'S LATEST SOCIAL IMPACT REPORT