INDEPENDENT LIVING FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

That’s the mission of Grace Eyre, a charity that provides safe, comfortable housing for people who need support to live independently.  

Thanks to a £720,000 secured loan* from CAF Bank, Grace Eyre has been able to offer accommodation to people with learning disabilities and mental health needs who are on benefits and are usually allocated housing without a choice of where or who to live with.

To do this, the charity gets to grips with each individual’s needs, and supports them through the process of finding a home, whether that is through Grace Eyre’s supported housing properties or by acting as the link between individuals and landlords in the private rented sector.

Close partnership

Speaking about the partnership with CAF Bank, Grace Eyre’s CEO Chris Bland said: “The process of finding a home can be daunting for pretty much everyone, let alone people who have learning disabilities and mental health needs. So this collaboration with CAF Bank was important to help us ensure that our own housing scheme could get off the ground and become a success – the project has now been running between four to five years and the charity has trebled in size.”

He said the charity has five properties of their own and has helped house more than 60 people.

The charity’s specialist trained staff work with landlords and local authorities to manage a tailored service, which includes paying for deposits and rent to ensure their beneficiaries can move into properties where they normally wouldn’t be able to afford to live.

Growing local demand

Based in Brighton and the south-east, Grace Eyre’s team have seen an increase in demand for housing in the area, which makes securing suitable properties more challenging.

Chris added: “The work doesn’t end here as this is clearly a growing area and it is becoming increasingly difficult to source properties at affordable rates. But we are up for the challenge and are aiming to have about 100 bed spaces, and hoping to expand our number of tenants.”

With person-centred care integral to its approach, the charity also encourages their service users to get involved in a range of activities to foster inclusion.