Jennifer Reilly and Agnes Bicket have been hired to work for the housing association through the initiative.

The Naumann Initiative aims to break the vicious circle of homelessness and unemployment by simultaneously giving a homeless person a job, a home and support with any complex needs or barriers to sustaining their tenancy.

The project is named in recognition of Laurie Naumann, founding board member and current vice-chair of Kingdom Housing Association.

The new posts which the scheme is recruiting for include a housing assistant and a tenancy sustainment worker.

The really exciting aspect to recruitment to both of these posts through this initiative, is that Kingdom’s new colleagues will be able to draw on their own lived experience in supporting housing applicants and vulnerable tenants to provide extra capacity and value to the tenancy support services provided by Kingdom to promote sustainable tenancies.

Bill Banks, group chief executive at Kingdom, said: “Kingdom had its origins in providing accommodation for single homeless men in Lochgelly, Fife in 1979. In our 40th Anniversary year, we are proud to be able to provide new and innovative ways of helping to tackle homelessness. Following the successful first phase of the Naumann Initiative we are considering how we can expand the project to benefit even more homeless housing applicants.”

Andrew Latto, head of HR, explained: “The Naumann Initiative came about through us posing a question about what’s possible and what more we could do to support people experiencing homelessness into a settled home. It is really positive that we’ve been able to recruit two colleagues through this route and I’m very much looking forward to working with them and seeing the contribution that they make to Kingdom.”

Matthew Busher, head of housing, added: “Kingdom provided homes to more than 120 homeless households last year and we are on track to increase that number further this year. It has been really positive that we have been able to provide new employment opportunities to homeless households through the Naumann Initiative, particularly as they will make a significant contribution to enhancing the provision of tenancy support services to other applicants and tenants.”

Agnes Bicker, new tenancy sustainment worker, said: “The Naumann Initiative has given me the opportunity to get myself back on my feet after finding myself homeless. Through my experience, I will be able to help our tenants who are getting their own homes after being homeless and share any advice with them.”