Unity Trust Bank funds homeless project in Manchester

A Victorian villa in Tameside is being turned into 13 self-contained apartments for homeless people.

The co-founders of social enterprise Cornerstone Place, Richard Kennedy and David Ball, will oversee the £440,000 development in Audenshaw, before handing it over to homeless charity Stepping Stone Projects to manage.

The project is being funded by Unity Trust Bank, an independent specialist business bank, with capital also provided by The Key Fund and Power to Change.

Andy Ledger, relationship manager at Unity Trust Bank, said: ‘We only lend to organisations that help create a better society. Homelessness in the UK is expected to rise as we move out of the pandemic and we’re delighted to support this project which will provide accommodation and support for vulnerable people in Greater Manchester.’

David Ball, co-founder of Cornerstone Place, said: ‘A member of my family spent a lot of time on the streets so this has personal resonance for me, and Richard has the social sector running through his veins.

‘Our business model is a way to empower, strengthen and increase the sustainability of homeless charities. Our ambition is to provide 1,000 rooms over the next five years.’

When the property is renovated, Stepping Stones Projects will work with Ashton Pioneer Homes and Tameside Council to provide tenant support services.

In related news, nine new council homes have been built on the site of a former builder’s yard in Oxford, with the allocations team beginning the process of letting the homes to applicants on the housing register.

Photo by Lewis Roberts