The Resonance Supported Homes Fund is delighted to announce a new housing partner, Golden Lane Housing (GLH), one of the country’s leading supported housing landlords for people with a learning disability.

The fund is buying homes across England that meet the individual needs of people with learning disabilities and autism and is in the process of buying nine properties for GLH, most of them in Oxfordshire, a mix of shared homes and one-bed flats.

The need for the right housing for people with learning disabilities and autism continues. According to the ‘A lifeline for Lifetime Independence’ report, written by Housing LIN and commissioned by the Learning Disability and Autism Housing Network, supported housing provides a critical role in enabling people with learning disabilities and autism to live independently within local communities. However, many of the 1.5m people in the UK with learning disabilities and 700,000 with autism, don’t live in the housing they would like to.

Only 23% and 25% of people with learning disabilities and autism respectively, live in supported housing, of which,

• 66% of supported housing is shared accommodation and 34% self-contained, and,
• It is predicted that the number of adults with learning disabilities and autism is likely to increase by about 20,000 over the next fifteen years

Decent housing solutions are needed to provide the right homes and support so that every adult with learning disability and autism can access the housing they would like to live in.

The Resonance Supported Homes Fund is making a difference to a small number of tenants. It is buying properties with input from the fund’s housing partners and their tenants, who importantly, also have a voice in property purchase decision making. This ensures each property is the right fit for each tenant. 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. Once purchased, each property is fully refurbished and refitted to a bespoke specification alongside having its energy efficiencies improved to help reduce tenants’ energy bills.

Providing tenants with secure and suitable housing and specialist support services from housing partners, like GLH, enables them to gain independence and exercise choices in their lives.

The Resonance Supported Homes Fund has raised £15.2m in impact capital to purchase seventeen homes so far for its housing partners and their tenants, with more in the process of being purchased. A handful of these properties have now been handed over to partners and are now housing several tenants. The fund continues to focus on purchasing properties for its housing partners with ambition to purchase around fifty properties in total.

John Williams, Managing Director of Resonance Property Funds: “People with learning disabilities and autism deserve to live their lives with independence, in a place of their own to call home. However, far too many are living in inappropriate housing for their needs meaning that often, they are also unable to live fulfilling lives and to reach their full potential. So, I am so pleased that this new partnership between Resonance’s Supported Homes Fund and expert supported housing provider, Golden Lane Housing, will see the fund purchase shared properties in Oxfordshire to provide decent and affordable supported housing for people with learning disabilities and autism in the region, that is right for their needs. This partnership will not only provide desperately needed long-term leases for properties that will give tenants security, stability and peace of mind so they can be a part of their local communities and live their lives how they choose but will also highlight the societal housing issue people with learning disabilities and autism are facing.”

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.”