I am trying to tackle the issue of homelessness which has increased over the last 5 years due to a reduction in the government funding that is provided to housing associations. This means that housing associations are now having to make business decisions in order to ensure they remain sustainable which can have an impact on people who are experiencing financial difficulties as this can result in homelessness. A housing association has to balance the rental income of a property against the financial needs of the business and this has also resulted in an decrease in the amount of affordable housing that is available. With continuing austerity measures this issue is only set to increase.

I have over 15 years of experience in housing and construction and have the passion and drive to make a change. I have a BSc (Hons) in Construction Project Management and a FdSc in Housing and Sustainable Communities and feel that I have the experience and knowledge required to initiate the project. I would like to create a housing association that provides affordable low cost housing for people who may be experiencing financial difficulty due to loss of work or a change in their personal circumstances. The properties will all be affordable housing and will be maintained to a standard that allows people to remain sustainable in a safe environment.

The project will look at refurbishing properties within the local community of Liverpool and extend with the region of Merseyside, employing local people to create social value. If the project is succesfull i will look at a Nationwide project to provide help and support to people outside the region of Merseyside.