Scottish cafes build a village for the homeless

The Scottish cafe chain, Social Bite, has built a village of 11 houses which will accommodate up to 20 homeless people. It is located just north of the country’s capital, Edinburgh, on land donated by the City Council. The village will be operated in conjunction with the Scottish homeless charity Cyrenians. The intention of this project is not just building houses, but building a community. Its aim is to create a village that will provide support and enable these homeless people to begin to rebuild their lives. Social Bite is one of a growing number of business enterprises that aim to help society while also making a profit. Over 25% of the staff at the chain are homeless people. They also have an ongoing ‘pay it forward’ system whereby customers can pay in advance for meals that will be given to homeless people.