Now, more than ever, borrowers need a lender that can react and respond to the financial complexity that we all face. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on existing and potential homeowners in the UK via its effects on the country’s job market, housing sector and overall economy. But here at Vida we have always tried to understand how all sorts of unforeseen life events impact the homeownership ambitions of millions of people.

Life is never a straight line. At Vida we know that for all of us, life can get a little crazy and doesn’t always play out the way we’d planned. That is why we believe in second chances. Working exclusively with expert intermediary partners, we combine cutting-edge technology with skilled and caring people to solve complex customer problems.

Launched in 2016, we’ve learned a lot in four years about what matters to our intermediary partners and their customers. 10,000 mortgages lent and £2 billion securitised, providing funding for our continued lending, shows we understand our business.

But we want to do more. The events of 2020 have given us the opportunity to make a fresh start, invest in our people and technology and we have come back to the market with a better proposition that helps more people with a wider range of needs, including financial histories that include furlough, mortgage payment holidays and self-employed support. We are committed to changing mortgages for good and helping everyone find a safe place to call home and we are doing that through three key initiatives.

1. Tackling exclusion

More customers than ever are excluded by high street lenders, simply because they don’t fit standard definitions of what good looks like. Our mission at Vida is to be the lender that helps give these borrowers a real chance at making their housing plans a reality. We help customers with complex borrowing needs get access to the borrowing they need at a price they can afford. We use technology and data to augment our deep expertise in credit underwriting to make this possible.

2. Supporting the homeless

People across the UK are facing a real challenge finding appropriate and affordable housing. At Vida we want to make a real difference in the mortgage market and beyond by helping everyone find a safe place to call home.Through our recently announced partnership with Crisis, we are tackling homelessness in the UK with an annual donation and fundraising activities.

3. Helping the UK's landlords

Britain’s private rental sector (PRS) plays a vital role in housing millions of people across the UK. Vida is supporting landlords with innovative products that meet their needs, as well as helping those who want to step onto the housing ladder move forward with their plans. Our Vida Flex product provides even greater flexibility for budding landlords and our forthcoming Generation Rent research is helping us to understand the needs and challenges of those locked out of homeownership, as well as the vital role the PRS plays for renters