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 £30,000 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 £15,000 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 £6,000 for tenants who cannot otherwise afford floor coverings
• Allocated £3,000 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.”