Procedures adopted to help people sustain their tenancies

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Procedures adopted to help people sustain their
tenancies

• By Elaine Somerville

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Tenancy Sustainment

• Focus on tenancy sustainment in legislation and
  social policy
• Emphasis on preventing homelessness/repeat
  homelessness
• Increase the chance of tenancy success
• Reduce financial cost of tenancy turnover to the
  Association

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Key Preventing Factors

• Good family and friendship networks
• Training, learning and skills opportunities
• Accessibility and availability of good advice and
  assistance
• Adequate financial resources and support in times
  of crisis.

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Helping people set up sustain their tenancy

• Pre-tenancy advice at H.A.F stage
• Identification of financial/support needs at
  H.A.F stage and at sign up stage
• Vouchers for BQ and Spruce Carpets
• Provide Starter Packs
• Gain employment training opportunities
• Tackling fuel poverty, rent arrears, providing
  welfare/debt advice
• Opportunities for young people through Aberlour
  Youth Point
• Referral to relevant agencies such as Money
  Matters, GSWRA (Glasgow South West Regeneration
  Agency) and S.W. Dept
• New tenant visits 6-8 weeks after start of
  tenancy
• Staff commitment to tenancy sustainment

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Partnership Working

• Starter Packs/Spruce Carpets
• Fab Pad
• GSWRA (Glasgow South West Regeneration Agency)
• GCSS (Glasgow Community Safety Services)
• Money Matters
• GHEAT
• Aberlour Youth Point Glasgow

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The Outcome

• Significant reduction in the no. of evictions
• Reductions in the no. of abandonments
• Significant increase in tenant satisfaction from
  2005-2009 in terms of the neighbourhood and
  Associations services
• A 63 reduction in offending in the youths from
  Elderpark involved in diversionary activities
  with GCSS. from the year before to the year after
  the programme.
• New targets to improve rate of tenancy
  sustainment by March 2011using the APSR March
  2010 figures as a base

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Key Statistics
Elderpark H.A. 2005/06 Elderpark H.A. 2009/10 1st and 2nd Qtr of 2010/11
Void re-let times 124 days 15 days
Current Tenant Arrears 5.6 3.62
Evictions Abandonments 46 31 9 (six months)
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Tenant Satisfaction Survey
Elderpark H.A. 2005 Elderpark H.A. 2009 M.I.S Average 2009
View of neighbourhood as a good place to live 52 86 81
Satisfaction with taking account of tenants views 74 93 78
View of Quality of Services provided 77 94 86
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Considerations for The Association

• Difficulty in monitoring outcomes
• Effective monitoring tools
• SROI (Social Return On Investment)
• Policy vs. practice