From Hostels to Homes: Scotland's Tiny Village Revolution

What if the solution to homelessness wasn’t bigger shelters, but smaller homes?

That’s the philosophy behind Harriet Gardens, a new 15-unit residential village that just opened in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Built by the charity Social Bite in partnership with the Salvation Army, the $3.5 million project offers something radically different from the traditional homeless hostel model: private dignity with communal support.

Each unit is a compact one-bedroom, one-bathroom space—what Social Bite calls a“nest”—but residents share access to a gym, community kitchen, and gathering areas. It’s intentionally intimate. Josh Littlejohn, founder of Social Bite, sees this as a deliberate departure from the chaos of government-run hostels. As he told BBC News Scotland, those facilities often create environments where people struggle rather than recover. His point hits hard: Glasgow and Edinburgh councils are pouring millions into accommodation systems that aren’t actually working.

The timing matters. South Lanarkshire has roughly 1,500 homeless residents—a staggering 33% increase over just six years. When Jacqueline Fernie, a homelessness and housing manager for the council, visited Social Bite’s existing village in Edinburgh, she recognized what was possible. She pushed to bring the model home.

What makes Harriet Gardens different isn’t just the architecture. It’s the philosophy. Providing people with their own space—with rent, responsibility, and agency—turns out to be a powerful catalyst for change. The Salvation Army will be on-site 24/7 offering practical help, emotional support, and guidance. Weekly community activities build skills, health, and routine for people accustomed to unpredictability. Local partners like the gardening club Grow 73 have stepped up to bridge residents with the broader community.

Sure, there was pushback from neighbors worried about an“encampment.”But what they’re getting instead is a carefully designed neighborhood integration—one where isolation isn’t the problem; invisibility is.

This isn’t a silver bullet for homelessness. But Harriet Gardens proves something quieter and more powerful: that when you give people a home and treat them like neighbors, they’re more likely to become one.