Glasgow Housing Association Better homes, better lives Our approach to tenancy sustainment and prevention of Homelessness 15 th June 2010 Housing Support and Accommodation / Catherine Wilkie

Better homes, better lives 2 GHA context GHA established 2003, following stock transfer from Glasgow City Council High rents - insufficient investment Unmodernised stock – poor condition High turnover and poor tenancy sustainment rate

Better homes, better lives 3 Tenancy sustainment – key problems 2006 Heriot-Watt research jointly commissioned by us and Glasgow City Council found: High turnover – particularly in ‘non-core’ stock (programmed for eventual demolition) Glasgow - high levels of homelessness and high repeat homelessness rates High early termination rates High cost of early termination –£1,300 per void for repairs, security and rent loss –Staff resources – GHA and GCC –Cost to individuals

Better homes, better lives 4 Tenancy sustainment research Who is most at risk of early termination? Both homeless and waiting list applicants had similar high early termination rates (25%) Under 25’s have very high risk of early termination– but relatively few are housed Profile of most common ‘early terminators ’ –male, –aged 25-45, –single person, –with community care needs, –living in multi-storey or tenement flat

Better homes, better lives 5 Risk Factors Property Lack of choice Poor property condition Anti-Social Behaviour/crime Lack of furniture Personal Sorting out HB Debt problems Feeling isolated - lack of support Lack of joined up working

Better homes, better lives 6 Tenancy Sustainment Strategy GHA developed Tenancy Sustainment Strategy in 2006, based on research and a series of joint training events Tenancy sustainment Key Performance Measure. Developing GHA homechoice (choice-based letting, pilot in West area) New Letting Standard for voids Starter Packs and Fab pad projects Employability schemes Support for credit unions Energywise projects/employment of energy advisors Resource Directory for staff New Neighbour Relations Manual

Better homes, better lives 7 Homeless prevention strategy First RSL to develop a homeless prevention strategy – Dec 2008 Training for staff through National Housing Information and Advice Standards (Homepoint) & CIH level 2 certificate of housing Focus on early intervention for customers experiencing problems Developing SMART technology around vulnerable groups; domestic abuse, harassment, fire and anti-social behaviour Supporting tenants to get a house, employment, training and education Improving assessment of need and appropriate allocations – pilot of Homechoice Development of personal housing plans and risk based sign-up process

Better homes, better lives 8 Our redesign …some guiding principles Put the customer at the heart of everything we do Consistent excellent service provision - learning from the best Design our business responses via the application of system thinking (what the customer wants, not more, not less) Value for money - reducing waste by designing out failure and creating capacity to do good things Designing “one and done” service provision

Better homes, better lives 9 Our redesign principles …Common System, Common Sense Design IN value, design OUT failure Switch emphasis to front end and away from legal process Themes: Pre tenancy support Early and personal action if things go wrong Consistency of approach (doing what we say, when we say, every time!)

Better homes, better lives 10 Common System / Common Sense ………………..We can’t do it alone Joint re-design projects with GCC Revenue & Benefits and the Glasgow Homelessness Partnership Rent and debt strategy Preventing homelessness strategy Tenancy sustainment strategy

Better homes, better lives 11 Tenancy sustainment focus was a start …………………….what were we doing about prevention of Homelessness Arrears example - Where we were in 2007/8 …with our rent system 23,000 tenants in rent arrears Business system drove action for recovery –8,000 Notice of Court Proceeding –6,500 Court Callings –1,000 Decrees for Eviction –575 Evictions –Leaving more than £1m of debt …lots of activity, but customer/ business outcomes?

Better homes, better lives 12 Notice of Proceedings served

Better homes, better lives 13 Evictions are decreasing

Better homes, better lives 14 Evictions for rent arrears

Better homes, better lives 15 Our redesign of Homelessness Jointly redesigned process – real partnership Mapped out our homeless process and designed out waste Understand the issues for Homeless Households - complex needs of Homeless Households Work together to resolve problems and have an understanding of respective organisational pressures. Set challenging targets 45% - 09/10 42 day ministerial guidance - driving wrong behaviours Positive impact on homeless refusals – getting it right first time Check, plan, do ……………………………………………….Much more to do here!

Better homes, better lives 16 Offers to Section 5 Referrals 2003 to date 2008/9 74% of all homeless cases rehoused by GHA (Validated) 26% of all other homeless cases rehoused by other RSLs/Private Rented Sector YearTotal number of lets Lets to Homeless Households Percentage of Lets to Homeless 2003/ % 2004/ % 2005/ % 2006/ % 2007/ % 2008/ % 2009/ %

Better homes, better lives 17 Little things mean a lot Welcome bags for Homeless households

Better homes, better lives 18 Employability initiatives Aim to maximise opportunities for our tenants Environmental Employability Programme From June 2006: 645 Training Places 368 individuals into work 81% GHA tenants

Better homes, better lives 19 Employability Participants evaluation – June 2009 “ I’ve found it a real benefit to come into work. It really helps after being stuck at home for so long. I think back to the person eight months ago and what my state of mind was like. I’m absolutely a different person; more relaxed, confident and self assured Scott - unemployed for 20 years

Better homes, better lives 20 Our performance: context year end 2010 Rent Arrears reduced from 5.14% debit in 2007/8 to 3.62% Current tenant arrears down from £10.1m in 2007/8 to £7.1m End to End re-let time down from 56 days in 2007/8 to 26 days for lettable property Letting performance is the best since inception of GHA – lets within 4 weeks was 49.07% for the year 2007/8, now 71.9% Tenancy sustainment levels improved from 2007/8 to 84.95%, now 87.88% Increase in lets to Homeless Households 19.1% 2007/8, now 41.5%

Better homes, better lives 21 Common System / Common Sense Whole system redesign Capital Works VoidsAllocationsHomelessness Housing Benefit Rental Income Repairs Former Tenant Debt Legal ComplaintsGHA(M)

Glasgow Housing Association Better homes, better lives QUESTIONS 15 th June 2010 Glasgow Housing Association Better homes, better lives