Social Bite Villages
Social Bite Villages
We’re pioneering a new model for housing people affected by homelessness and addiction.
Our Edinburgh Village is a small, vibrant, supported community, and a safe and beautiful place to live. The second Social Bite Village in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, is already taking shape, and we’re working to scale this groundbreaking model across the country. With your help, we can take it further, faster.
A life-changing alternative to temporary accommodation
In major UK cities, the two most common forms of temporary accommodation for people who are homeless are hostels or bed and breakfasts (B&Bs). Sadly, too many of these are of a poor standard and are not fit for purpose, with environments and rules that hinder people’s journey to independence, rather than nurturing it. We’ve been told of temporary accommodation that is cold and damp, without locks on doors or cooking facilities, and with strict rules, often including no pets.
Social Bite Villages are different. Run with local partners, including charities and councils, they give people affected by homelessness a supportive living environment. As a resident, you can come and go as you please, socialise, bring your pet, and get comfortable running your own home, all with 24/7 support.
Surrounded by attractive landscaping, each village has 10-15 modern, sustainable homes, as well as a buzzing community hub for activities that range from skills workshops, to baking to yoga..
Using factory-made pre-fabricated buildings to our bespoke design, each ‘nest house’ includes a bedroom, shower room, kitchen and living space. Our commitment to sustainability means we always aim to regenerate and develop unused land when building a Social Bite Village, putting sites to good use and creating appealing surroundings for the local community.
Find out more about our three village projects below, and donate today to help us support even more people experiencing homelessness.
The Edinburgh Village
The first Social Bite Village opened in 2018, and has supported around 100 people experiencing homelessness.
Harriet Gardens — the South Lanarkshire Village
Operational from spring 2026, the second Social Bite Village supports people experiencing homelessness in Rutherglen.
The Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village
This proposed community will support vulnerable people struggling with addiction in Dundee.
Help us build more Social Bite villages
Our experience in Edinburgh has shown that a supported accommodation model can break the cycle of homelessness for good
We need you help to provide the same opportunity to even more people across the county
Our Partners
We’re always keen to speak to charities and local authorities interested in rolling this model out elsewhere.
“It gave you that space to start rebuilding yourself”
Life at the Villages
Life at the villages is shaped by everyday moments of connection — cooking and eating together, joining in activities, and getting to know neighbours and staff. All in a safe, relaxed environment where people can find their footing and look towards what comes next.
Who lives in a Social Bite Village?
Residents are typically a mix of men and women who require supported accommodation for a longer period before moving on to their own tenancy. To join a Social Bite Village, people must show a desire to make positive changes, like starting education or looking for work. Other criteria vary by Village, according to people’s needs in each local area. Residents are encouraged to contribute to the life of the community, and supported to leave negative behaviours behind so they can focus on meaningful goals for the future.
Specialist skilled support
At each Social Bite Village, there’s an amazing team on-site with appropriate skills and experience — a mix of staff and volunteers. They build relationships with residents, act as positive role models, and lead skill-building and wellbeing activities. For each village, we identify local partners who can provide expertise tailored to people’s needs in their area. It’s all about providing consistent support so people have the best chance of building a brighter future for themselves.
Smart, sustainable, speedy
Social Bite Villages don’t look like typical temporary accommodation — the design is surprisingly beautiful and refreshingly dignified; an antidote to the “us” and “them” thinking that often leaves people who are homeless feeling stigmatised. Residents have their own private homes, along with access to a spacious community hub for meals and activities together with their neighbours. Each Social Bite Village is manufactured by Ecosystems Technologies using materials locally-sourced in the Scottish Highlands. They’re built far faster than regular housing construction projects, thanks to modular off-site construction, which means each house and hub is built in sections in a factory, then finished on site. The timber is sourced from responsibly managed, sustainable local forests, which remove carbon from the atmosphere, making the buildings net zero carbon.
Are you currently experiencing homelessness?
