Better homes, better lives

Our year at Housing Association

Annual Highlights 2014 – 2015 Glasgow Housing Association Message from GHA’s Chair

Gordon Sloan

Over the past year we continued Providing quality, affordable housing to build more homes and to invest in our existing properties, making and creating great communities sure all our stock remains warm people are proud to live in – that’s and comfortable. At the same time we expanded what we’re all about at GHA. But we our range of services which – after listening to our tenants – we know also want to support the people who brings the extra support so many families need. We’ve helped more live in our neighbourhoods so they people into jobs and training, provided money and fuel advice, can get the most out of their lives. offered support to get online and help with furniture and food. With welfare reform still having an impact on many of our tenants, that lifeline support is more important than ever.

Here are some of the highlights of our year 2014 – 15.

2 Annual Highlights 2014 – 15

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Annual Highlights 2014 – 15

Tenants are not only enjoying living in modern, spacious new homes, the energy-efficient features also mean cheaper fuel bills. That helps us tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.

Our new homes really do change people’s lives. Tenant Clare Carvill, who moved into Marfield Street last October, said: “Now my two sons have their own room they get along much better. This home has made a massive difference to our lives.”

Since April this year we’ve completed another 100 new homes – at Sighthill, and Barmulloch – as part of Transforming Communities: Glasgow, a partnership with Since April this year we’ve completed another GHA, and 100 new homes – at Sighthill, Toryglen the Scottish Government. The partnership has identified eight and Barmulloch – as part of Transforming areas in the city as priorities for Communities: Glasgow major regeneration. Another 2,800 new homes are planned over the next seven years after Wheatley Group – GHA’s parent organisation – secured a landmark £300m bond deal on the public bond market.

As well as building new homes, we’ve continued to make our existing homes warmer, drier, New homes and regeneration safer and more comfortable. GHA’s new-build programme continues to transform Our capital investment programme communities all over the city, has seen more than £29.8m spent with almost 1400 new homes built in the past year on improvements since 2003 and hundreds more in to our homes. Tenants are enjoying the pipeline. In the past year, 278 the benefits of new windows, tenants have moved into modern, central heating systems, kitchens new homes, including at Marfield and bathrooms. Since 2003, GHA Street in , the former has spent more than £1.275billion Commonwealth Games Athletes’ upgrading more than 70,000 Village in and at homes, the biggest project of its Temple, in . kind in Europe.

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1,403 older and disabled tenants have used the Handyperson service

Increasing support for our tenants school-leavers take the first steps support people affected by welfare We know communities need on the career ladder this year – reform – from financial advice to support, and this year we’ve bringing the total to 174 since 2009. help in furnishing their homes. introduced a wide range of services to help our tenants access jobs The Wheatley Pledge encourages Our welfare benefits advisors help and training, put food on the table, contractors of GHA’s parent tenants claim all the benefits and furnish their homes, get online organisation to create jobs and tax credits they’re due. In the past and get expert advice on benefits, training for our customers. Since year, 3,482 tenants have used money and budgeting. 2013 the scheme has created the service – and have accessed 160 opportunities for people. In more than £5m in unclaimed Jobs and training the past year alone, the Pledge benefits. Tenants George and A vital way of increasing has helped 61 people into jobs, Margaret Hassan are now around opportunities – and helping people created nine apprenticeships £400 better off after help from an fulfil their potential – is through and another eight placements advisor. George said: “It was a nice access to jobs and training. In or internships. surprise as we didn’t know about the past year we’ve helped 198 the extra help. This means we’re people into jobs and created Daniel Horsfield, who got a start better off.” 193 training places through the as an apprentice joiner through Community Janitors, our Modern the scheme, said: “There’s not a GHA’s fuel advisors give tenants Apprenticeship programme and lot of work around out there and free, expert advice on keeping their the Wheatley Pledge. Wheatley doing this for young gas and electricity bills low. A total people is fantastic.” of 2,748 tenants used the service in The Community Janitors scheme 2014 – 15 and saved £588,000 on sees long-term unemployed GHA’s investment and new-build their bills. people work alongside GHA’s contracts also stipulate that jobs environmental teams keeping and training be created for local Our Home Comforts scheme neighbourhoods clean. Since 2006 people, and in the past year GHA’s provides free, recycled furniture around 1900 people have been contractors have created 11 jobs for tenants struggling to furnish through the programme. This year and 17 apprenticeships through their homes. That support has 126 people took part, and 115 of this ‘community benefit’ clause. been a lifeline to 567 tenants in them moved into full-time jobs. the past year. And 1403 older and Welfare services disabled tenants have used the Our Modern Apprenticeships in We have increased the range of Handyperson service for help with Business, Housing and IT helped 19 wraparound services designed to odd jobs around the home.

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We’re also increasing choice for tenants by expanding our range of online services. Later in 2015 we launched improved online services at GHA, allowing tenants to see their account balance, make payments, book a repair and request other services whenever it suits them.

Social media remains a popular and effective way for us to interact with customers, and GHA now has 11,686 followers across Facebook and Twitter.

Legacy from the Games The 2014 Commonwealth Games was, of course, a big event for the city.

But we judge its success on what it left behind for the people of Glasgow. A total of 98 GHA tenants are now enjoying life in smart new homes in the former Athletes’ Village, but we’ve also worked hard over the past year to make sure the Games left a lasting sporting, cultural and social legacy. Our Eat Well programme has been UK and our efforts to get more a lifeline to tenants experiencing tenants online are designed to help One of the most important ways food poverty. As well as offering tenants access all the advantages of doing that was through debt, budgeting and money advice, of the internet. distributing furniture used at the we distribute excess supermarket Athletes’ Village. More than 60,000 food to tenants who have nowhere GHA now supports 27 Click & items of furniture were gifted to else to turn. In the past year we’ve Connect computer learning centres GHA by Games organisers – and carried out 3994 deliveries – and all over Glasgow. Tenants get free then distributed by us to our helped 755 tenants get back on internet access and expert advice tenants as well as to charities, their feet. to help them log on to job sites, other social landlords and create a CV, pay their rent and voluntary organisations in and Tenant Ian Dean said: “Eat Well complete online benefit forms. around Glasgow. gave me advice and food parcels while I looked for work. It helped Our support for the Lone Parents We also helped create a sporting get me off the breadline.” Advice and Support Network legacy for our young people. means mums and dads can also Digital inclusion get benefits advice and help to More than 900 east end school Glasgow has one of the lowest complete online claims and learn kids took part in the Legacy Games levels of internet usage in the about jobs and training. at the Emirates Arena, while we

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gave young people the chance to The committees also have an business improvement through take part in track cycling sessions annual community fund budget of people management. Following at the same venue. We also £150,000 each to help our tenants last year’s IiP Gold Award, GHA organised a Mini Commonwealth lead ‘better lives’. Well over 100 this year picked up Large Employer Games for youngsters in projects have been supported of the Year and Overall Employer , and helped school kids in the past year, including helping of the Year at the annual IiP in keep the spirit of young people improve their awards, while Chief Exec Martin the Games alive by holding their employability skills, organising Armstrong was named Leader of own Drumwealth Games. parties for older tenants and the Year. Judges described GHA helping families, carers and as ‘an inspiration to us all’ and ‘an We made sure older tenants didn’t people with disabilities get an absolute stand-out organisation’. miss out by organising a ‘summer affordable holiday. of sport’ at our sheltered housing GHA also won the ‘Business complexes where tenants took Performance Transformation of the Year’ award part in activities such as indoor GHA reports on its performance at the UK Housing awards for bowls and golf. against a series of indicators our ‘Think Yes’ staff campaign. laid out in the Scottish Social Meanwhile, our new-build And Wheatley Group’s 2014 Games Housing Charter. Our performance development at Duke Street/High Year Sport Scholarship helped continues to show strong results, Street picked up City Regeneration 10 young athletes pursue their with approximately half of the Project of the year at the Scottish dreams of sporting excellence indicators at top quartile levels. Property Awards. with a grant of up to £1,000 a year to help with travel expenses and A total of 90.6% of tenants are equipment. Wheatley Group’s Host satisfied with the overall service your Kit competition also provided they receive from GHA. In the past new strips and vouchers for sports year, our level of current tenant equipment for 10 lucky sports arrears has fallen from 2.57% to 90.6% clubs in GHA communities. 2.36%, while the average time to let homes is at 14.39 days, down of tenants satisfied with These projects have left a lasting from 19.56 days. Other major the overall service they legacy of sporting excellence improvements have been in receive from GHA – and healthier, more active relation to: complaints responded communities. to in full within timescales (up 13 percentage points); lettable Area Committees homes that became vacant (down GHA’s three area committees 3 percentage points); gross rent – made up of tenants and arrears (down 0.4 percentage community representatives – points); and average length of are a vital way for us to support time taken to re-let properties grassroots projects across the city. (down 5 days).

Each committee has responsibility Awards for £1.5million to spend on It’s been another year of business neighbourhood improvements, excellence for GHA, with awards and have approved projects and recognition for the work staff ranging from allotments and play and tenants are doing. parks to resurfacing pathways and renovating community centres. Investors in People (IiP) is the UK’s leading accreditation for

7 Wheatley Group Wheatley House 25 Cochrane Street GLASGOW G1 1HL wheatley-group.com