René House graduated from Cambridge Social Ventures in March 2021.
Idea
René House turns houses into homes and provides semi-independent accommodation for homeless vulnerable adults and families across Nottinghamshire.
Alongside the accommodation is a support package which covers things such as social integration, budgeting and life-skills in order to encourage progression towards independent living.
René House residents are also encouraged and guided towards creating links with external providers to support with wider issues they may face including; drug or alcohol abuse, offending behaviour and mental health issues.
René House is also an advocate for those on low income and benefits to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) community. They engage and educate landlords on the benefits of making their properties available to this tenant type through various types of housing under the social housing spectrum. This could include working with a landlord to have them consider renting to a person on benefits, right up to investing in and with supported housing organisations.
People
René House is led by two young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs from Nottingham and supported by a small team of dedicated support workers.
Theo Brown manages the operations; he is responsible for business admin and property management. Previously he was employed by the Royal Bank of Scotland and worked his way up to senior personal banker helping people with their finances and borrowing options. He has also worked with young people with special educational needs and behavioural issues.
Tiffany Brierley is the lead on project delivery. She is responsible for maintaining and improving the standards of the support and the staff who provide it, as well as managing the René House social media. She has a wealth of experience working in the health and social sector starting as a carer for vulnerable people of all ages and working her way up to team management positions.
Impact
René House aims to create an infrastructure of support and services for those experiencing homelessness and/or receiving low income or benefits.
They aim to do this by making good housing accessible to all, providing tailored support to people who need it, facilitating collaboration in the community and creating opportunities for work, education and social engagement.
In addition to having an impact on the lives of those working directly with them, René House will also have a wider impact on the local community. An increase in supported accommodation units reduces the need for councils to use high-cost, unsuitable accommodation. Well-managed units also reduce local antisocial behaviour levels and the demand on emergency services. Furthermore, the work done by René House supports bringing empty and disused properties back into use.
Ultimately, René House aims to support reducing the amount of homeless people in Nottinghamshire.
Lead entrepreneur
Theo Brown and Tiffany Brierley
Get in touch
René House is interested in working with landlords and property funders or investors to source accommodation. They are also keen to hear from support services who can work with René House residents on things like; mental and physical health, drugs and alcohol misuse, budgeting, ex-offending, social integration and work and training opportunities.
Tel: +44 (0)7592 971421 (Theo) +44 (0)7518 633403 (Tiffany)
renehousecic.com
Find René House on Facebook:
Find René House on Instagram: