Harriet Gardens: New Supported Living Village Opens Near Glasgow to Help People Rebuild Lives After Homelessness
A new supported living village designed to help people rebuild their lives after experiencing homelessness has officially opened in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, offering 15 individual residences and a community of support for some of Scotland's most vulnerable people.
Harriet Gardens, a collaboration between the charity Social Bite, The Salvation Army, and South Lanarkshire Council, opened its doors on Monday 13 April. The village provides not just a roof over people's heads, but a structured environment of community, support, and opportunity — giving residents the stability they need to move forward with their lives.
Background
Social Bite, the Scottish social enterprise founded by Josh Littlejohn, has pioneered the concept of supported living villages for people experiencing homelessness in Scotland. The organisation's first village, in Edinburgh, demonstrated that providing people with a safe, stable home alongside wraparound support services can achieve remarkable outcomes — with many residents going on to secure permanent housing, employment, and renewed connections with family.
Harriet Gardens builds on that model, bringing together the expertise of Social Bite, the pastoral care of The Salvation Army, and the housing and social care resources of South Lanarkshire Council.
Key Developments
The village features 15 individual residences, each providing a private, secure space for residents. Communal areas encourage social connection and mutual support, while on-site staff provide practical assistance with everything from benefits and housing applications to health appointments and employment support.
The project is named Harriet Gardens in honour of the community spirit it aims to foster — a place where neighbours look out for one another and where people who have often been invisible to mainstream society can find belonging and purpose.
The opening comes at a time when homelessness in Scotland remains a significant challenge. The combination of rising rents, the cost of living crisis, and the lingering effects of the pandemic has pushed more people into housing insecurity, making projects like Harriet Gardens more important than ever.
Why It Matters
Harriet Gardens represents a compassionate and evidence-based approach to one of society's most persistent challenges. Rather than treating homelessness as an individual failing, the village model recognises that people need community, stability, and support to thrive — not just a bed for the night.
For the residents who will call Harriet Gardens home, the opening marks the beginning of a new chapter. For the wider community, it is a reminder that when charities, faith organisations, and local government work together, they can create something genuinely transformative.
What's Next
Social Bite and its partners will monitor outcomes for Harriet Gardens residents over the coming months and years, with the aim of demonstrating the model's effectiveness and making the case for further investment in supported living villages across Scotland and the rest of the UK. The organisation has previously called for national government support to scale up the village model as part of a comprehensive strategy to end homelessness.
