Resonance is thrilled that at the recent Insider Media Liverpool City Region Property Awards, it’s National Homelessness Property Fund 2 (NHPF2) won the Sustainability and Social Impact Award, alongside its expert housing partner in Liverpool, Redwing, a housing cooperative that aims to provide affordable housing to people in the region.

We were delighted that three of the Redwing team, Jessica Turner, Head of Partnerships and Growth, Paula Davies, Lettings Manager and Liv Silver, Residential Services Manager joined Resonance’s Miriam Unsworth, Senior Property Portfolio Manager and Alex Reeve, Senior Property Development Manager at the recent, prestigious awards ceremony to celebrate the region’s property industry, winners and finalists.

This award is recognition of the positive social impact this partnership is creating and already having on people experiencing rough sleeping in the Liverpool City Region, with the award organisers commentating:

“… housing the homeless in Liverpool was a standout scheme for the judges, delivering real change and tackling deprivation. They commended the project for creating a long-term solution that will have a real impact on the lives of hundreds of people.” 

Investment from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme is enabling NHPF2 to purchase and refurbish 68 properties – mostly one-bed properties - in the Liverpool City Region for Redwing, and so far, has handed 34 properties over with 26 of these homes now housing tenants. All the tenants living in these properties are able to access support to help them feel stable, gain confidence and independence, and tackle any issues – such as poor mental and physical health, addiction and trauma – so that they can start to rebuild their lives. Around half of the tenants are being supported through the Liverpool City Region’s Housing First approach, one of three pilots in the UK, whilst the remaining tenants are supported by local authority schemes to help people experiencing homelessness into long-term accommodation.

The ambition is for around 200 people experiencing housing crisis and rough sleeping in the area, to be provided with a decent and affordable place to call home, over the fund’s lifetime.

Since NHPF2 launched in 2020, the fund has raised £79m from 7 impact investors – including pension funds and local authorities – partnered with 8 expert and experienced housing partners across England and so far, has ownership of around 350 properties, the majority of which are now tenanted. The fund has scope to raise capital of up to £300m and aims to purchase 1,500 properties to house 16,000 tenants over its lifetime.

Chris Cullen, Resonance’s Head of Homelessness Property Funds, said: “The UK’s housing crisis continues to affect all parts of the UK with over 117,000 households living in temporary accommodation and 1.3 million households on social housing waiting lists. In the Liverpool City Region, over 15,000 households need social housing and 34 people are experiencing rough sleeping, which is why Resonance’s National Homelessness Property Fund 2 partnered with a local trusted and expert housing provider, Redwing, to provide decent and affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness in the region.

This award is fantastic recognition of our two organisations working together, committed to providing life changing homes with support services, to enable tenants to build resilience and support networks, become part of their local communities and start making steps forward to create positive futures for themselves.

So far, 26 people – some of whom have experienced sleeping rough and are part of the Liverpool City Combined Authority’s Housing First programme - have been provided with a place to call home. We are proud to work with Redwing to meet some of the region’s need for affordable housing for the people that need it the most.”

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL HOMELESSNESS PROPERTY FUND 2