East Durham Community Initiatives (EDCI), a housing support charity for vulnerable young people, has received £100K in funding from Big Issue Invest, the investment arm of The Big Issue.
EDCI provide a range of supported housing services for vulnerable young people in one of the most deprived areas in the country.
The charity also supports a wide range of people, including those who are homeless, people living with mental health problems, learning disabilities or recovering from substance misuse, people who have spent their childhood in care, are fleeing domestic violence, people with training education or employment needs, homeless veterans, or those who are elderly and need extra support to live independently.
Tenants have access to support and guidance to help maintain tenancies, cope with daily life and prepare them to move on to independent living.
The EDCI social mission is to promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people in the East Durham region from becoming socially excluded and relieving the needs of those people and assisting them to integrate into society.
The charity fulfils this mission through: