Buxton charity looking to buy property and give homeless people a place to live

The charity has recently become landlords and put one person in a flat but wants to do more.

Zink is looking into setting up a Community Benefit Society to become a housing association.

Paul Bohan from Zink said: “We have been thinking about this for a while now.

“It has taken about a year with all the paperwork we have had to complete but we recently taken over as landlord for some flats in Buxton with the intention of of providing good homes for people previously homeless.

“We already have one client who has moved in.

“Across all sectors of the work at Zink we see people who are struggling.

“We helped a pregnant teen mum who was given shared accommodation with four men who were all in their 40s and had addiction problems which was no place for her so we got her into a women’s hostel.

“We had another client who was asleep when their landlord entered in the middle of the night, threw a mattress in his bedroom and said from now on he would be sharing a room with a stranger.

“And these are only a few examples so we knew the situation was terrible and we knew we had to help.”

He says that when people are working they need their own space to feel safe and comfortable in.

He said: “We have become landlords not for profit but to help the community.

“Every place we rent out will have its own front door and will not be shared space.

“Also the housing system traps people who want to work.

“Housing benefit pays a person’s rent but housing support helps with their bills.

“However, this money stops the moment they get a job and some landlords say they must leave the property when the housing support stops.

“So people who want to get a job find themselves stuck and with nowhere to live.”

Zink, based on Clough Street, provides a foodbank and helps people get back into employment. The move into property is a daunting one.

“We have a vision,” said Paul, “but for that vision to work and we buy more property and become landlords to more people in need we need investors.”

The charity is holding a public consultation on Monday December, 11 between 5-7pm to gauge interest and support for the charity buying homes to provide accommodation for people in the town.

Paul said: “It’s like buying shares, the only difference is you don’t get interest if you choose to cash them in.

“For businesses or private individuals who want to support the cause, all money donated benefits from a tax break.

“We don’t know if there will be any interest in the project, which is what the session in December is all about.

“We have received some funding from the East Midlands Community-Led Housing to put on the evening and they will be giving two talks one at 5.15pm and another at 6.15pm.

“This project has the power to dramatically change people’s lives for the better but we need help making it happen.”