News

17 May 2007

£10M homeless-housing company seeks more Church Partners through Christian Resources Exhibition

Ethical housing company, Green Pastures Housing (North-West) Limited is exhibiting at the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Esher until 18th May. Their Stand can be found in Grand Stand View 3 of the Sharing Show.

Green Pastures is talking to Church leaders from around the country that are already experienced in ministering to the homeless, with a view to forming synergistic partnerships. Now in its 8th year, and with a portfolio valued at over £10M, Green Pastures is successfully housing homeless people in towns around the UK. In just 8 years the company has housed 100s of homeless people.

Pete Cunningham, or Pastor Pete as he is known, is Director of Green Pastures and Pastor of Shoreline Church in Southport. "We are pleased to be at CRE this time, as we want to be working with more churches. They are able to provide the pastoral support and friendship that tenants badly need. We purchase property on the open market and house people that the churches are ministering to on the streets - these include ex-offenders – so, as we say in our strapline, without discrimination or favour."

Thanks to the Churches’ involvement, Green Pastures’ schemes are highly successful and many tenants go on to rebuild their lives. In Green Pastures ‘home’ town, Southport, for example, rooflessness is history, and many other towns will soon be following suit.

Pastor Pete again: "As Christians, this is the kind of work we were designed for. Jesus called us to help the poor and Green Pastures simply provides the framework within which to do that effectively."

This is a not-for-profit ethical investment company in which savers buy shares and earn a 4% dividend (5% on loans). The company owns 174 housing units with 26 in the pipeline. This model works. The asset base has grown from that first house to property valued at around £10.5m.

Green Pastures is now working with 12 local authorities around the country and is developing a model for the housing of ex-offenders nationally. A pilot scheme is now underway in the North-West in partnership with HM Prison Service.