Canopy renovates empty properties with volunteers and homeless people, who become our tenants after creating good quality affordable homes for themselves. We bring derelict property back into use, house homeless families, train unemployed people in construction skills, create jobs, improve community cohesion and contribute to the regeneration of disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The areas that we work in are among the most disadvantaged in the UK, with high unemployment, poverty and anti-social behaviour. In Leeds there are a large number of empty houses and many people who are homeless or in need of affordable housing. We tackle these issues as we bring empty homes back into use. Communities come together, diverse people work in teams and run-down areas are regenerated as our volunteers and staff work with homeless people to renovate houses.

In 2013-14 we supported 8 long-term unemployed people to find work. We trained 65 unemployed people in teamwork, safety and construction skills. We now house 60 families in homes that they helped to renovate. Over 16 years we have brought 60 empty properties back into use. We were awarded the United Nations World Habitat Award 2015 - 2016 for our self help model.