George Clooney, Bob Geldof and Rob Brydon back village accommodation for people who are homeless.

During a tour of one of the Village’s Nest Houses, George Clooney, who returned to Scotland 10 years after he first visited the Social Bite cafe, praised the quality of the design and the Village model. The Nest House provides a place to live for people experiencing homelessness in a supportive community environment.

Friends of Social Bite Sir Bob Geldof and Rob Brydon, also enjoyed a tour of the newly opened Harriet Gardens Village, delivered in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council, which has recently become home to 15 residents. Both supporters backed Social Bite’s call for further roll out of the model through partnerships with Local Authorities looking for an actionable solution to the homeless crisis.

The franchise proposal released today by Social Bite outlines a collaborative partnership with the local councils which adopt the Village model. In addition to investing up to 25% of the unit construction costs for the first villages created, it is offering support and expert consultation throughout the whole process, including: reviewing suitable land within the local development plan, navigating planning requirements, supporting meaningful community consultation, offering insights on support providers, and more.

Councils will have the freedom and flexibility to adapt the village model based on what its particular area needs. The Villages can add capacity to existing temporary accommodation options, fill a gap where provision is scarce, or replace outdated hostel of B&B accommodation that is no longer fit for purpose. If a council is finding it difficult to meet their statutory duty, or their current temporary accommodation offering is struggling to keep pace with demand, a Social Bite Village is a proven, state-of-the-art alternative.

With a track record of helping over 100 people into long-term, independent housing, and testimonials from charity partners and residents with lived experience, there is no denying the positive impact the Village model can make on individuals and communities.

Founder of Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn said: “It’s been 10 years since George last visited our Social Bite cafe in Edinburgh - what an incredible full circle moment for us to have him back. It was a privilege to give him a tour of one of our brand new Nest Houses and tell him all about the project and the journey the charity has been on over the last decade.

“Thank you George for your support and being part of the movement to end homelessness. It was also amazing to host Sir Bob Geldof and Rob Bydon to our new village in Rutherglen and the perfect way to launch our new plans to roll the Social Bite village model out in towns and cities all over the UK.”

Rob Brydon, said: “The Village is very impressive. The communal area is fantastic, it gives people the choice whether they want to be in their own place or if they want to be with other people - I can’t imagine the huge difference it will make to people who have experienced homelessness. To come here and to have the dignity of your own space, it’s a wonderful, positive force of good.

“I’d like to be told the reason why there’s not more places like this throughout the country. Scotland’s leading the way. I don’t see why this cannot be rolled out across the country.”

Sir Bob Geldof said: “It’s very difficult to understand why there’s a homelessness issue in the country when these can be built for a relatively small amount of money, certainly a lot less than a one-bedroom flat. The structure, design of these buildings, everything is so thought through.

“There should be more of these throughout the UK, and self-evidently, this is a solution.”

Councils across the UK have already begun showing interest in the model. If you are a council member considering a Social Bite village for your local authority, please get in contact via our website.

If you’d like to make a donation to Social Bite visit social-bite.co.uk/donate/.