The £105,000 grant will specifically be used to fund two new support coordinators who will form part of a new ‘Housing First for Families’ support service.

The service will provide direct support to the Association’s tenant households with children, who are struggling to maintain their tenancy, or who have previously been through the homeless system.

The new service will help customers in a range of ways including; providing financial and employment advice and assistance, liaising with other agencies to coordinate and manage support provision, facilitate access to required health and social care services as needed, and provide a single point of contact for the household.

Irvine Housing Association is one of 11 housing associations across Scotland to receive a share of the £1.5 million funding pledged by the Scottish Government to support homeless prevention work.

The three-year programme is being administered by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Irvine HA already allocates around 35% of its lets to homeless households and, as part of the Riverside Group, has a strong commitment to tackling homelessness.

Paul Hillard, managing director of Irvine Housing Association, said: “There are a number of different ways to tackle homelessness and I believe that supporting homeless families within their new tenancies is a key part of that.

“This important funding will allow us to have a dedicated resource to help homeless people not only settle in to their tenancies but to support them in building a stable future going forward, and preventing them from ending up in a cycle of homelessness.

“We look forward to making a positive difference to the lives of many more people through this funding.”

The new posts will be advertised early next year with the roles due to begin on 1 April 2021.