Edinburgh investment and development business Ediston has announced a funding partnership with a Singapore investor to help tackle the shortage of housing in Scotland.
The partnership with Singapore-based 42 Capital Partners will be marked at a signing ceremony at the British High Commission in Singapore and will create a new route for investment from Singapore and Southeast Asia into UK housing.
It aims to bring international funding together with UK investment partners, local authorities and public-sector organisations Ediston is already engaging with, and ultimately to help turn housing opportunities into a substantial expansion in the supply of rented homes
The partnership aims to raise approximately £150–200 million to deliver new homes, initially in Scotland.
Ediston’s longer-term ambition is to attract £1–2 billion of investment, into its ‘Living’ platform, over the next five to seven years, which could provide as many as 8,000 homes throughout the UK. Ediston has already secured a pipeline of immediate opportunities amounting to more than 2,000 units.
At a time of acute housing shortages, Ediston can bring funding, development and housing management together, to deliver more homes, more quickly and more efficiently, with a focus on affordability, quality and long-term stewardship.
The longer-term platform would aim to provide a vehicle to create and deliver various types of housing, building on the initial model to deliver single family housing in Scotland, which can sit alongside the current mid-market rent (MMR) model.
A site for rented homes has been acquired close to the Edinburgh BioQuarter district, close to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and medical research and life sciences community.
Daniel O’Neill, CEO of Ediston said: “The housing emergency demands new approaches that can help deliver more homes, more quickly. This partnership is about bringing new additional equity investment into UK housing and putting it to work with immediate effect.
“Our ambition is to create a reliable source of funding that supports sustainable housing delivery over many years. We are already working with local authorities and public-sector partners, and we will be inviting UK investment partners to join us.
“Locations such as Edinburgh’s BioQuarter show how new rented homes can support both communities and the economy, helping people live closer to major employers in healthcare, research, university and life sciences.
“Singapore has an enviable reputation as a gateway to investment from across Southeast Asia. By building this bridge with 42 Capital Partners, we aim to connect that investment with the urgent need for high-quality rented homes in the UK.”
David Agair, CEO 42 Wealth and Capital Partners said: “This partnership brings together investors seeking long-term opportunities and a country with a pressing need for more homes. Ediston has the experience to bring investment, development and housing management together.
“We look forward to helping investors in Singapore and Southeast Asia support new rented housing across the UK, alongside UK investment partners.”
Nik Mehta, British High Commissioner to Singapore said: “It’s fantastic to see Ediston and 42 Capital Partners join forces through this exciting new partnership. Business links between the UK and Singapore continue to create jobs, drive innovation and support economic growth in both countries.
“I’m particularly pleased to see this partnership being driven by a Scottish business. It reflects the deep and longstanding relationship between Scotland and Singapore, and highlights the strength of investment opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom.”
The partnership will be marked at a signing ceremony at the British High Commission in Singapore. The ceremony will be attended by Mr Mehta, Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Asia Pacific, and David Kelly, executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore.
Mr Kent said: “The new partnership between Ediston and 42 Capital Partner will support growth and further strengthen the economic ties between the UK and Southeast Asia, building on the £29 billion of Foreign Direct Investment from Southeast Asia in the UK.
“Through the UK’s Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy, we are taking decisive action to create the right conditions for long-term investment in the UK, and we are committed to growing our investment partnerships further.”
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