Tag: Harbour Homes

More than 300 affordable homes come to Granton

Harbour Homes has worked in partnership with Cairn Housing Association to create 306 new affordable homes at Granton Harbour on Chestnut Street, Chestnut Wynd, Hesperus Crossway, Hesperus Terrace and West Harbour Road.

This includes 96 homes for social rent by Harbour Homes and 130 properties for mid market rent by Harbour Lettings. The remaining 80 properties are social rent homes provided by Cairn Housing Association.

A seven-bedroom independent living home and office space with an adjoining one-bedroom flat has also been opened by Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust to support people in the care system.

Dean and Cauvin provide accommodation for young people (from ages 15-21) as well as supporting their transition to living independently.

Following an event for new tenants to meet each other and find out more about what’s happening in the community,  Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive of Harbour Homes, said: “Everyone at Harbour is very proud of the many years of hard work and dedication which has gone into creating these fantastic new homes.

“With brilliant communal gardens and courtyards, breath-taking views over the Firth of Forth and great public transport links to the city, I know our tenants will be happy in their new homes and will play a part in the new communities which are flourishing along Granton’s waterfront.

“It was a joy to work with Cairn and other partners to make this ambitious project a reality.”

Audrey Simpson, Cairn’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Harbour Homes and other key stakeholders to bring much-needed affordable housing to Granton.

“These new homes are a testament to what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared vision. Thanks to Harbour Homes and to everyone involved for their dedication and hard work. We are confident that our new tenants will thrive in this vibrant community.”

Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Edinburgh’s council housing stock was devastated by the Right to Buy policy meaning only 14% of homes in our city today are social housing, compared to a Scottish average of 23%.

“We desperately need to work on reversing this trend as we work with developers and social landlords to tackle our city’s Housing Emergency.

“At Granton Harbour, there has been an impressive effort to create over 300 new affordable homes in total, almost 60% of which will be for social rent. Hundreds of people are now moving into good quality and genuinely affordable housing as a result, which is well worth celebrating”

Funding secured to help parents seek work and maximise income

Single parents and families with young children living in Leith and north Edinburgh can continue to access a free service providing employability and income maximisation advice.

This comes after the Scottish Government announced an extension of its Accessible Advice Fund to existing providers, including Harbour Homes. This will total just over £98k of funding from 2023 until March 2026. Grants are being distributed by AdviceUK on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The service is provided by Harbour Homes’ Placemakingteam who have been working alongside local community organisations to support parents.

One partner organisation is Leith-based Kin Collective, a social enterprise working to support physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in pregnancy and early parenthood.

Kathryn Lawrence, Director of Kin Collective said: “We have been so grateful to have received support from Jane Whiting and Harbour Homes for our parent community.

“Jane has been a frequent guest at our weekly perinatal group to chat to parents and provide information about the tailored 1:1 support available.

“This has been particularly relevant to families who are facing a range of challenges including reduced income due to maternity and parental leave, parents seeking new employment, the issue of high childcare costs, a lack of provision, and in some cases support with existing employment and flexibility to work around family life.”

Kathryn added: “We have received excellent feedback from parents that have worked with Jane on an individual basis, in particular that her input has been instrumental in helping to secure new roles and employment.

“To date Jane has worked with 16 parents so far and we are delighted to have been able to work with Jane and Harbour Homes on this project and receive such invaluable support.”

John Murray, Placemaking Manager at Harbour Homes said: “This funding extension is a testament to the positive impact this service has already had on the lives of the people receiving advice.

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue this important work.”

Parents in Leith and north Edinburgh interested in learning more about this service should contact jane.whiting@harbour.scot.

A new house in North Edinburgh for care-experienced young people

Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust – one of Scotland’s oldest children’s charities – are delighted to announce the opening of our new custom-built house in north Edinburgh for Edinburgh’s care-experienced young people. 

Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust have served the children and young people of Edinburgh since 1733. Over the years we have continued to develop and adapt our support to meet the needs of our changing city.

Today we provide a fostering service for teenagers, a Wellbeing Hub, a range of community support for young families and a unique specialist house for young mums and babies.

Our new house in north Edinburgh has been built in partnership with Harbour Homes with CCG (Scotland) Ltd as the main contractor. T

he house will provide a home for young people aged 15-21. Five young people will have their own en-suite rooms, a range of shared living and wellbeing spaces and gardens. Our dedicated staff will work with each young person to help them on those first steps towards adulthood, education and work.

Gary Dewar CEO of Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust said: “Our new house in north Edinburgh is the result of many years of close collaboration with our colleagues at Harbour Homes.

“We aspired to create a vibrant and welcoming ‘place of hope’ where young people are valued, part of their community and helped to take the next steps in their lives. Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Dean and Cauvin”.

Jaslin Bhagrath, Chair of the Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust Board said: “We are a proudly local charity, and our new house is an investment in our city and in our ambition for young people.

“This could not have been possible without the hard work of our staff, board members and young people and with the additional help of independent funders and community members who contributed time, money and passion to help us realise this.”

Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive at Harbour Homes said: “We have enjoyed collaborating with Dean and Cauvin on this custom-built house which five young people will soon call home.

“There is a real sense of excitement after the opening, and I look forward to seeing how this new Edinburgh community thrives in months and years to come.”

Leith landlord addressing high cost of home essentials

Addressing high cost of home essentials

Harbour Homes is working hard to assist tenants with the high costs associated with moving into and running a home.

Since April this year Harbour Homes has:

  • Invested £30k in housing starter packs for new tenants to purchase high-quality used furniture from Four Square Edinburgh Initiative. Eligible tenants receive
    a voucher for up to £500 (the amount varies depending on what is needed) to choose their furniture and have it delivered for free. They may also purchase
    brand new items such as cot mattresses and bedding
  • Secured funding of £15k from the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust for tenants to access one-off grants for things like furniture, flooring and white goods, and to
    relieve the cost of living crisis
  • Set up a carpeting/flooring fund of £6k for tenants who cannot otherwise afford floor coverings
  • Allocated £3k to a white goods/washing machine fund for tenants

Fiona Whitelaw, Tenant Advice Team Leader at Harbour Homes, said: “With the cost of living crisis showing little sign of abating and changes to the Scottish Welfare Fund, unfortunately many more of our tenants are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for essentials such as flooring, furniture and white goods.

“We’re really proud of all the work we’re doing to secure and free up funding so people can have these essentials in their homes.”

Strengthening Communities: The Ripple Project grants £10,000 to local initiatives

Local Edinburgh organisations receive transformational grants to expand community programmes in Lochend, Craigentinny and Restalrig.

The Ripple Project celebrated local community enterprise this weekend, distributing £10,000 of vital funding grants to support community initiatives. 

Now in its third year, ‘LCR Stands Up’ is a participatory budgeting programme, which this year saw over 600 residents in the Lochend, Craigentinny and Restalrig area vote to back 6 local projects, who each received a grant of up to £2,000 each.

The grants are funded by several private donors, including Harbour Homes, who are the owners of The Ripple’s community hub in Restalrig.

This year’s chosen projects are ‘Lochend Boxing Club’, ‘Tai Chi and Tea @ Craigentinny Garden’, ‘Just Dance at Disneyland’, ‘Investing in Youth Drama’, ‘The Botanical Mural at Craigentinny Primary School’ and ‘Mindfulness for Wellbeing’.

‘LCR Stands Up’ is led by Tristan Green (above), Community Action Worker at The Ripple, who commented: ‘One of the key benefits of participatory budgeting is that our local residents have democratically chosen who receives this additional funding to enhance our community.  

‘We’re proud that over the last 3 years we’ve been able to support initiatives with almost £50,000 of funding. This year’s grants will be used across a spectrum of initiatives, including those supporting greater mental health, the creation of a new mural at a local primary school, the upgrade of fitness equipment at the local boxing gym and helping 20 children go to Disneyland Paris to take part in a performing arts programme.

‘I’d like to thank all of our amazing donors and to SCDC for their continued support of The Ripple and the LCR Stands Up programme and to our local community in North East Edinburgh for their dedication in offering vital voluntary initiatives to support and enhance the lives of residents in such a challenging financial and social climate’.  

For anyone looking to find out more about how to get involved in participatory budgeting or support future ‘LCR Stands Up’ campaigns, contact Tristan at Tristan.green@theripple.org.uk or visit www.rippleproject.co.uk.

Harbour Homes partners with Edinburgh Women’s Aid to provide emergency accommodation for families experiencing domestic abuse

Since January this year there has been a 38% increase on the previous year of women seeking help from Edinburgh Women’s Aid due to experiencing domestic abuse.

At the same time, the longer-term impact of the pandemic has made accommodating families in shared homes more challenging. Fear of infection, lack of personal space and the impact of lockdown on children have prompted Edinburgh Women’s Aid to review their current shared accommodation options within the city.

Edinburgh Women’s Aid approached Harbour Homes who are providing up to four two-bedroom flats to be used as emergency accommodation. Those living in the flats leased to Edinburgh Women’s Aid will receive weekly support and a safe and furnished home.

Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive at Harbour Homes said: “In 2022-23, 90% of recorded domestic abuse incidents in Scotland took place inside the home.

“We care deeply about the work Edinburgh Women’s Aid are doing to provide support and refuge to women and children affected by domestic abuse. We extend our support to Edinburgh Women’s Aid and will do all we can to assist those living in the emergency accommodation we provide.”

Karen Griffiths, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Edinburgh Women’s Aid said: “We are incredibly thankful to Harbour Homes for their support in leasing this emergency accommodation to us.

“The flats will provide a safe and stable environment for women and any accompanying children who are at risk of homelessness because of Domestic Abuse, whilst they are supported by Edinburgh Women’s Aid to recover.”

Over £172k funding secured to provide energy advice to Edinburgh tenants

Leith’s biggest social landlord, Harbour Homes, has made a successful bid on behalf of the ARCHIE partnership for funding from the Energy Redress Scheme. 

The £172,089 grant will cover the cost of two Energy Advisors to continue providing a service to tenants of seven registered social landlords operating across Edinburgh for a further two years.

The service will help households to address fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency. This can include assisting with applications for subsidies and funding to help with bills.

The Energy Advisors may also liaise with energy providers to ensure the best deal and help resolve any disputes on the customer’s behalf.

Households who can benefit from the funding are those who rent a home from one of the seven locally based ARCHIE partners.

Alongside Harbour Homes, the project partners are Lister Housing Co-operative, Manor Estates Housing Association, Muirhouse Housing Association, Prospect Community Housing, Viewpoint Housing Association and West Granton Housing Co-operative.

Fiona Whitelaw, Tenant Advice Team Leader at Harbour Homes said: “Our Energy Advisors will continue to build on the work we’ve been doing across Edinburgh to advise and advocate for tenants whose quality of life is impacted by high energy costs or energy debts.” 

Claire Ironside, CEO of Manor Estates Housing Association and Chair of ARCHIE said: “We are delighted that Harbour Homes, as the lead partner in this project, has successfully secured further funding to ensure that the tenants of all partners benefit from the energy advice service that can be provided as a result.”

Kevin Wilson, Housing Services Manager at Harbour Homes said: “I’m proud of the hard work our Tenant Advice Team has put into securing this funding on behalf of ARCHIE.

“Sharing resources with our fellow ARCHIE partners helps to provide value for money and keep rents affordable.”

Harbour Homes provides over £14k towards community meals in Leith

A joint community venture by Pilmeny Development Project and FENIKS has received a major funding boost from Harbour Homes via the National Lottery’s Community Fund. This will allow its weekly Multi-Cultural Cook Along to continue until at least March 2025.

Harbour Homes’ social enterprise subsidiary, Harbour Connections, offered £14,225 funding to Pilmeny Development Project as part of its local placemaking work. 

These cook alongs provide a welcoming and safe space for older members of the Leith community to meet, cook, eat and spend time together. This helps to reduce social isolation, loneliness and food poverty in a collaborative way. Some group members have also benefitted from activities at the cook alongs which have helped to improve their English language skills.

Mary O’Connell who runs the project said: “It’s an amazing group of people.

“To see how they all come together while cooking, playing bingo and getting competitive during Play Your Cards Right after the meal is brilliant.”

One attendee, aged 83, has been attending the events for several months now. He said: “Just look around the table, I’m English, there are Scots, Canadians, Polish and Irish here and we all get on really well.”

The funding will also help provide transport allowing group members to attend the cook-alongs at the Pilmeny Development Project Youth Centre.

In addition to the Multi-Cultural Community Meals, the funding will go towards supporting Older People’s Meals and Pilmeny Development Project Youth Centre community food provisions for their youth clubs.

John Murray, Placemaking Manager at Harbour Homes said: “There’s a genuine warmth and togetherness about the group which speaks volumes about the work being done here.

“It’s a privilege for Harbour Homes to be in a position to help support projects like this.”

Five stars for Harbour Homes’ Sheltered Housing Team

Harbour Homes’ Sheltered Housing Team has received a five-star certificate of nomination from Age Scotland’s Services for Older People Awards.

The awards recognise the hard work and dedication of individuals, groups and organisations who make a positive difference to the lives of older people in communities across the country.

Age Scotland’s Chairperson, Stuart Purdy, said it was hugely inspiring to learn about the dedication of Harbour Homes’ Sheltered Housing Team and all the work they do on behalf of older people.

Maureen Combe, Sheltered Housing Services Manager at Harbour Homes, said: “It’s our absolute pleasure to support our tenants and to do all we can to help create a real sense of community among them.

“I’m thrilled that our team’s dedication has been recognised by Age Scotland.”

New mid market rent homes come to Crewe Toll

Harbour Homes and Cullross Ltd have brought eleven new affordable homes to Telford Drive. The homes, close to a popular walking and cycle route, will be managed by Harbour Lettings who look forward to welcoming new tenants this spring.

The contemporary development consists of one and two-bedroom flats overlooking Edinburgh’s skyline with the castle and Arthur’s Seat in view, and further afield to the Pentland Hills.

The modern homes have ample storage, ground floor private and communal gardens, bicycle storage and a rainwater harvesting system. These new homes, located on an already established residential street, are conveniently placed near public transport links, green spaces and shops at a nearby retail park.

Heather Kiteley, Harbour Chief Executive, said: “These homes offer a modern, affordable living option for the local community, including those working at the nearby Western General Hospital.

“It is fantastic to bring our new mid market rent homes to an established community, and I expect these will be sought after as a highly convenient spot for the local workforce.

“This project has been a real success, working alongside Cullross Ltd to deliver such high-quality homes ahead of schedule.”

Mark Beaton, Director of Cullross Ltd., said: “We are delighted to be handing over the eleven 1-bed and 2-bed flats at Telford Drive, well ahead of schedule. 

We have worked closely with Harbour Homes, both through the planning process and latterly the construction phase, providing them with these high-quality new flats.

“Although the nature of the project was at times complex, we are pleased with the outcome resulting in these excellent new homes. We look forward to seeing the new tenants moving in shortly.”

The main contractor was Cullross Ltd who appointed the architect and structural engineer. The employer’s agent was Pottie Wilson, and the Clerk of Works was Harbour Homes.