Friday Sessions London

CRISIS is a national charity that fights homelessness and empowers homeless people to fulfill their potential and transform their lives. With Urban Village CRISIS has developed a new model for sustainable communities with affordable homes for low income essential workers and formerly homeless adults.

Urban Village is:

• An innovative concept for socially mixed communities based on tried and tested model from New York
• High quality permanent housing with onsite holistic support and opportunities for work and well being
• A cost effective solution, which tackles multiple agendas across local and central government

• Located on the City Fringe in Tower Hamlets, Urban Village will create 270 units of permanent affordable housing for a mixed community of low income workers and homeless adults unable to move on from an overcrowded hostel system. Urban Village will not only provide high quality, environmentally friendly housing, it will also boast integrated onsite support services including healthy living, training, and employment opportunities. Support services include the New Mildmay Hospital serving people living with AIDS, a Primary Healthcare and 8 bed Detox Centre, and the New Shoreditch Tabernacle Baptist Church.

• Urban Village is based on a successful model pioneered by Common Ground Community in New York in 1990. Common Ground currently operates 1500 units. In 2005, New York City government committed to delivering 9,000 more units.