Investing in your community
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Better homes, better lives Investing in your community Have your say on options for next year Consultation on rent levels 2019/20 Glasgow South: Pollok, North Pollok and Mosspark, Castlemilk, Toryglen and Pollokshaws, Nitshill, Kennishead and Darnley, Govan, Cardonald, Hillington and Penilee.
Glasgow Housing Association
Listening to you,
and responding
We’ve been busy investing in your homes, Proposals for next year’s rents
communities and services over the past We set out three options for next year’s rent
few years. We’ve listened to your views, levels, explaining how each option would
understanding what’s important to you and affect the improvements we could carry out
then spending money on what you tell us in your area as well as the wider services and
are the top priorities. support to tenants.
This has included our repairs service, new Shaped by focus groups
homes, upgrading kitchens, bathrooms The booklet has been shaped by tenants’
and heating systems and improving feedback from 20 focus groups held as part
neighbourhoods. You can read more about of our consultation on rents for 2019/20.
the investment carried out last year in your
area on page 4. This year, after listening to tenants, our
consultation focuses for the first time on your
What tenants tell us area – the South of Glasgow – and tells you
Tenants have told us they want us to keep what we have done in your communities.
investing in homes and neighbourhoods.
They have also told us the repairs service Have your say
is the most important service for them. Please take time to look at the options on
page 8 and have your say on rent levels for
This booklet looks at how we can continue 2019/20. You can find out how to give your
investing in homes and neighbourhoods, views on page 11.
maintain and further improve the repairs
service and keep providing all the other
services which support our tenants and
their families.
What’s inside?
3 What tenants tell us
4 What you helped deliver last year
5 How your rent was spent last year
6 Challenges for the year ahead
8 Your choices, have your say
10 Support to make ends meet
11 How to make your voice heard
11 What happens next?
2Rent Consultation 2019/20 – Glasgow South
What tenants tell us
At GHA we want to deliver what tenants tell us Tenants have also consistently told us that:
is important to them.
GHA should continue with improvements to
homes like new kitchens and bathrooms
We engage with tenants in lots of ways
including through focus groups, local we should look at more investment inside
community events, customer panels, surveys, homes
social media and conversations with housing
helping communities stay safe is important
officers. We listen to all the feedback and use
it to shape what we do and the services we we should continue to work on keeping
deliver. neighbourhoods clean and tidy
repairs is the most important service.
Last year a majority of tenants told us
they would be willing to pay more for We want to keep delivering the improvements
improvements to homes and neighbourhoods. you tell us you want in your community.
3Glasgow Housing Association
What you helped
deliver last year
Last year you helped us deliver a huge range New homes
of improvements to homes, neighbourhoods Tenants told us they wanted to see more
and services. This was in line with what we affordable housing in your area. We built 235
set out in our five-year plan Investing in our new homes in Brand Street in Govan and
Futures, which was shaped by tenants’ views, Dougrie Drive in Castlemilk. We also started
and the local plans you also helped develop. building 209 more at Govanhill, Castlemilk,
You can see these plans at www.gha.org.uk Ibroxholm and Tarfside.
Here are some of the things delivered in the Improving neighbourhoods
South of Glasgow during 2017/18. Tenants told us they wanted us to do more
to keep neighbourhoods clean and tidy.
Improvements to homes We invested £2.2m on improvements to
Tenants told us they wanted to see more neighbourhoods across the South including:
investment in homes. We invested over
controlled entry and common doors for 222
£3.4million in our tenants’ homes in the
homes
South including
new common rooms at Jura Court in
new boilers in 1036 homes
Mosspark and Dougrie Terrace in Castlemilk
new windows in homes including Castlemilk,
new access paths at Thornliebank
Drumoyne and Mosspark
communal heating at Hillpark
new kitchens, bathrooms and rewiring in
110 homes. decorating common landings at Cessnock/
Ibrox involving 320 homes.
1036
In addition, we also rolled out further fire
safety improvements in our multi-storey
blocks.
New boilers in the South
4Rent Consultation 2019/20 – Glasgow South
New repairs service How your rent was spent
Tenants told us they wanted a more local last year
and effective repairs service. Last year we
rolled out our new repairs service delivered Here is the breakdown of how each
by City Building (Glasgow), now jointly owned pound was spent in 2017/18
by our parent company Wheatley Group and
Glasgow City Council.
Improvements to the service include new
local teams, closer working between repairs
teams and GHA staff and greater focus by the
tradespeople on customer service.
Supporting our customers
Tenants tell us they welcome the support
we give people to get more out of their life,
particularly for those who face hardship.
We supported our tenants and their families
through a range of services, including helping
them into work or training, fuel advice and 61% Investment and maintenance
support with budgeting and benefits. 23% Staffing and administration
11% Loan repayments on our homes
Over 2017/18 GHA: 5% Activities supporting communities
helped 262 people into jobs or training
provided vital support to 1011 newer Investment and maintenance can
tenants to help them manage their finances include responsive repairs, planned
and settle into their community through
Wheatley’s My Great Start service maintenance and larger scale
gave 414 customers upcycled furniture
improvement work.
through our Home Comforts service
offered 570 of our most vulnerable
households help to put food on the table
through our Eat Well service.
5Glasgow Housing Association
Challenges for
the year ahead
Every year we work hard to Like most social landlords we face challenges
become more efficient and deliver such as rising inflation which pushes up the
costs of goods and services.
the best value for money we can.
We also want to be able to keep delivering
improvements to homes and communities
which tenants have told us they want and to
improve important services, such as repairs,
which is one of our largest costs.
Extra costs
We also face extra costs because new fire
safety legislation means we have to fit
interconnected smoke and heat detectors
in 90% of our homes. These costs are
estimated at £300 a home.
Delivering existing services
Traditionally rents have gone up by the Retail
Price Index (RPI) plus 1%. Based on the
September RPI, that would mean an increase
of 4.3%.
However, we have been working hard
to reduce costs in recent years with our
management costs now lower than the
Scottish and UK averages.
This means the rate of increase needed to
keep delivering all our services, taking into
account rising costs, is 3.3%.
6Rent Consultation 2019/20 – Glasgow South
How we compare with others Customer satisfaction
Lower than average rents Higher than previous years
Average rents at GHA are 2.3% lower Customer satisfaction with GHA is 91%
than the average for registered social – and has been around 90% over the past
landlords in Scotland. five years.
2.3% 91%
Lower operating costs
Our operating costs per home are
below the Scottish average.
7Glasgow Housing Association
Your choices,
have your say
Here we set out a number of 1. Increase rents by 3.3%
options for proposed rent levels Increasing rents by 3.3% would mean we
could keep delivering all the services we
together with what these options provide to you and your family, carry out all
would mean for services and city-wide investment work already planned
improvements. for homes, keep communities clean and safe
and provide a range of support for tenants
who need it. We would also continue to offer
24/7 customer service and carry out further
improvements around fire safety which will
be required by law.
3.3%
Would enable us to deliver all
services and planned work
8Rent Consultation 2019/20 – Glasgow South
2. Increase rents by 3.8% 3. Increase rents by 4.3%
Increasing rents by 3.8% would mean we Increasing rents by 4.3% would mean we
could keep delivering services and all the could keep delivering services and all the
investment work already planned. In addition investment work already planned. In addition
we would also be able to carry out further we would also be able to carry out a much
improvements to homes and neighbourhoods. wider range of the additional improvements
These improvements would be based on outlined in option 2 in more homes.
what tenants tell us are priorities. They could
include: Giving your views
In the attached survey, you can tell us which
new doors
option you support and what your priorities
new floorboards and skirtings for investment would be. The survey also
gives you an option to let us know if you don’t
better lighting or paving round homes
agree with any of the options. Our Board
upgrades to backcourts and bin stores would take account of this, together with
the need to continue delivering services and
anything else tenants thought was a
improvements, before making a final decision
priority.
on rent levels.
3.8%
Would enable more improvements
based on tenants’ priorities
9Glasgow Housing Association
Support to make
ends meet
We understand some tenants can struggle Odd jobs for over 60s
to make ends meet. Tenants tell us it’s the Over 60s and disabled tenants can get help
overall cost of running a home that can be with jobs around the home for free through
an issue. our handyperson service. From changing
plugs and light bulbs to cleaning windows and
We are always here to help and have lots of hanging curtains, we can help you.
support for anyone finding it tough.
Universal Credit
Here are some of the ways we can help. With the new benefit Universal Credit now
being rolled out in Glasgow more people may
Cut your fuel bills benefit from the support we can give. Please
Our fuel advisors help tenants of all ages find talk to your housing officer or give us a call
the lowest energy rates and keep their fuel and we will support you to manage all the
bills low. Some tenants have saved hundreds costs of running your home.
of pounds.
Find out more
Get all the benefits you’re due To find out more about all the ways we can
Our welfare benefits advisors can make sure help, speak to your housing officer or go to
you claim every penny you’re due and help www.gha.org.uk/ways-we-can-help
you budget.
Furnish your home
Our Home Comforts service helps tenants who
can’t afford furniture. We upcycle donated
items and make them as good as new before
passing them on to tenants.
Food on the table
Our Eat Well scheme helps tenants who face
real hardship and may be forced to turn to
food banks. Tenants get food parcels and
support to get back on track.
10Rent Consultation 2019/20 – Glasgow South
How to make
your voice heard
You can have a say on rent levels for next year What happens next?
by completing our online form. But that’s not We will collect all the views from the South
the only way to make your voice heard. of Glasgow from the survey and the other
You can also: conversations with tenants.
Have a chat with your housing officer with
The GHA Board, which is led by tenants,
your feedback
will consider all the feedback before making
Email us at a final decision on rent levels for 2019/20.
consultation@wheatley-group.com
– Please put GHA Consultation in the We will let you know the results of the
subject field consultation and the final decisions made
about spending priorities and rent levels on
Call us on 0800 011 3816 (Monday–Friday
our website www.gha.org.uk and in the Key
9am–5pm, excluding public holidays)
magazine. We’ll also report on the progress
Visit www.gha.org.uk/consultations to fill of the work carried out through the year.
in the form online.
We will let you know what your new rent
for 2019/20 will be by letter. Your new rent
will be due from April 2019 onwards.
11Wheatley Group, Wheatley House, 25 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, G1 1HL www.wheatley-group.com
You can also read
