The UK's Women in Safe Homes fund – managed jointly by Patron Capital and Resonance – has appointed an all-woman senior board of advisors (SBA) – a first for an impact investment fund that is focused on homelessness.
Believed to be the world’s first gender-lens fund, the Women in Safe Homes fund focuses on the lack of affordable, safe and good-quality homes for women experiencing homelessness, many of whom are survivors of domestic abuse, are leaving prison, have mental health issues, or have other complex needs.
It launched in December 2020, raising £15.5 mln (€18 mln) from its seed investors. Since then, the fund has raised over £26 mln - aiming to reach a target size of £100-£200 mln – to provide over 650 homes across the UK for over 6,000 women over its lifetime.
Louise Swinden, Resonance Property fund development manager for the Women in Safe Homes fund, said: 'The gender lens focus of the Women in Safe Homes fund is fundamental to the impact it aims to achieve, so having the support, perspective and passion of our unique senior board of advisors enables it to commit to addressing the gender equality challenges faced by women that can lead to homelessness.
'Each of the ten members of the board bring incredible experience and expertise, making a hugely valuable contribution to the fund’s aims, and a real difference to women affected by domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. We are incredibly grateful for their support.'
The SBA sits outside the formal legal structure of the fund and is intended to provide a number of important perspectives to ensure the fund’s success in creating positive social impact for women.
Meeting on a quarterly basis, the SBA’s remit will include supporting the fund’s commitment to gender lens and lived experience, it’s relationships with housing and support providers, providing direct understanding of the need and the services provided as well as investment and fund management, and supporting fundraising and property sourcing.
The board consists of a diverse group of ten women, and includes representative from the women’s sector and women with lived experience of women’s homelessness, and who will add a depth and richness to this gender-lens fund, continuing to set it apart in the impact investment sector.
Cherine Aboulzelof, managing director and head of Europe, BGO Strategic Capital Partners, said: 'I am delighted to join the Women in Safe Homes' senior board of advisors and its diverse group of talented women; I chose to get involved because it is the first gender lens property fund tackling the housing needs of the most vulnerable women in our society, and I hope to contribute my real estate and investment experience towards making a difference.'
Juan Du, investment director at Patron Capital, said: 'Not only does the senior board of advisors bring a highly impressive track record across women's rights, the charity sector and responsible finance, but the collective experience of the ten women involved ensures that the Women in Safe Homes fund will benefit from a truly diverse and inclusive gender lens - a crucial element of the fund.
'With so much achieved in the first year of the fund - including new investors and the first properties being handed over to tenants - we are very much looking forward to building on this success in the months ahead with the help and expertise of our new board.'
