Social Bite breaks ground on new village in north Edinburgh

Homelessness charity, Social Bite, says that their contractors have broken ground at the new Granton Waterfront site where their village of individual homes will move to.

Josh Littlejohn, MBE, visited the site along with village residents to see the work for themselves. The site will comprise a Hub, a communal area for villagers to gather and cook, along with seven new Nest Houses. These houses have been refitted according to feedback from residents.

This location is just a mile away from the original site and has great views of the Forth Bridges.

But it is about more than homes and views with wrap around 24/7 support for residents living there – who must be “clean” (ie free from drugs or alcohol) before gaining a place.

Charity partner and fellow homelessness prevention organisation, Cyrenians, will continue to deliver round-the-clock support. Cyrenians has been a key part of Social Bite’s work in supporting the reintegration of 100 people into the community by helping residents to develop skills and confidence.

Residential volunteer Amber joined Josh Littlejohn on the visit to the new site. She said: “It’s going to be really good for wellbeing, being this close to the ocean. The site is really accessible for a walk with my dog, Leo. We often take him along the coast.

“I have lived at the Village since end of May 2025, which I’m very grateful for. I was interested in the opportunity to help others and see how such a village runs and supports people. It’s a very unique set up that I had not seen before.”

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “We always knew the village was originally built on a ‘meanwhile use’ site, so it’s great to see this relocation of the project taking shape on such a stunning seafront location. With diggers arriving and work beginning, it’s a really exciting time.

“As well as moving location, we are taking the opportunity to expand and improve the village by introducing seven of our newly designed Nest Houses, a new community hub and a community growing space. With many cities all over the UK declaring housing emergencies and becoming overly reliant on expensive, substandard temporary accommodation, we are really proud of the village project in demonstrating a better alternative that can also make use of innovative construction methods and ‘meanwhile’ land options.”

Amy Hutton, Director of Services at Cyrenians, said: “It is exciting to see this new chapter of the Social Bite Village begin in earnest. The community that Cyrenians and Social Bite have established in this area has made a profound difference to many people, and we are pleased that we will be able to continue this work just down the hill from the original location. We know from our projects which span the Southeast of Scotland, that stability, privacy, and community is a lifeline for those who have not been afforded that right, and I am pleased that we will be able to offer that support to more people as this project continues.”

After living in the village residents then move out – with support – into permanent accommodation.

For more information on the Edinburgh Village, visit: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/what-we-do/the-edinburgh-social-bite-village/

Social Bite new site.