Opened by national homelessness charity Bethany Christian Trust, Grace House provides a safe, welcoming home for up to eight women, with intensive support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from an all-female staff team. The service supports women affected by trauma, domestic abuse, substance use, poor mental health and other complex challenges, helping them to build stability and progress towards independent living.

Each resident has her own bedroom and access to her own bathroom or shower room, alongside shared living spaces and a garden. Meals are eaten together, with community life providing opportunities to build relationships, confidence and practical skills in a supportive environment.

Laura McNamee, head of cluster for Anne Hope House, Grace House and Bethany House, said: “Grace House is a home. It’s not a homeless hostel. It’s not a unit. It’s a home.”

Grace House has been developed to meet the needs of women in Glasgow. The model reflects priorities identified through the city’s supported accommodation redesign process and Scotland’s Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan. Grace House is a Housing Support Service registered with the Care Inspectorate.

Its sister service, Anne Hope House, has provided a warm, safe home with specialist support for over 60 women since opening in 2020 in the East of Scotland.

Emily Millar, Grace House manager, shared: “I want people to be at home the moment they walk through the door. I want them to know they are safe, that they belong, that they are at home. And that goes for guests, staff and everyone who contributes. It’s a gift to be able to do that.”

Residents of Grace House will receive personalised individual support and have opportunity to participate in group work within a therapeutic environment. Support covers life skills, wellbeing, personal development and, where relevant, addiction recovery. Each woman will be supported to develop a plan based on their strengths, choices and goals. The length of each stay is tailored to the individual, allowing time to prepare for independent living when ready.

Bethany has supported people in Glasgow for well over a decade. Grace House expands the charity’s work in the city by adding shared residential support to its existing range of services. Bethany’s national strategy, Dwelling Place 2030, centres on providing a home as a place of safety, warmth and welcome, with opportunities for a positive future. 

Now operating over thirty services, Bethany supports around 9,000 people annually across Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Fife, West Lothian, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Stornoway, Perth, Dumfries and Edinburgh. Established in 1983, Bethany Christian Trust’s services focus on Homelessness Prevention, Crisis Intervention and Housing with Support, relieving the suffering and meeting the long term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.