Spring Newsletter 2016
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2 GlenburnNews Making a difference to Our Community Easthall and To the Residents of Kildermorie Newsletter Easthall and Kildermorie Easthall Residents EASTHALL Welcome to Our Association PARK Officially Spring Newsletter... the Best Team in Glasgow!!! Don’t Forget Rents go up by 1.5% on 28th of March 2016 In this issue: Welfare Rights Anonymous complaints Rent News Benefits News Policy Renewal Hustings New kitchens Money tips on how to get a better deal! Easthall Residents Association News Officially the Best Team in Glasgow NEW Dance Group The People’s Projects Lottery TV Vote North East Community Champions Awards Training Courses Spring 2016 EASTHALL PARK HOUSING CO-OP • EASTHALL RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION 2 GlenburnNews In addition we are unable to discuss the complaint with you or get any further information that may be required to allow us to fully investigate and resolve. It means that we are unable to contact you to give you an update on the complaint or ask if the issue is still on-going. Leigh Marinelli is our Welfare Rights Assistant A possible suggestion we would like to make is when making anonymous complaints you What can she help you with? considering giving us a phone number for us to contact you on (this can be by text She can help you: message if you prefer). You do not have to • Choose the right benefit to claim give us your name or address and we will not • Deal with any letters about benefits ask for this but by giving us your number it • Get the maximum correct benefit entitlement means we can phone or text you to • Fill in any benefit claim forms with you discuss the issue. • Find out more information about tax credits • Answer your enquiries about benefits Please note we record all complaints • Appeal against benefit decision including anonymous complaints and we • With budgeting investigate all complaints. • To access a bank account • Work out how much housing benefit and If the matter is of a serious nature (such as council tax reduction you are likely to receive if allegations of drug dealing) and we pass it you are considering accepting a job offer onto Police Scotland we will NEVER provide What she can’t help you with: the complainers details unless we have your • Cancelling Sky/Virgin/BT subscriptions permission to do so. • Advise you what company to go with for gas or electricity If you are concerned of illegal activity in your area then your first contact should be to If you want to make an appointment with Leigh phone the Police on 101 or contact Crime call 0141 781 2277. Stoppers on 0800 555 111 with the information; they will take complaints Appointments: Tuesday-Thursday. Drop in anonymously and we can then work with the 10am-12 noon on a Friday. Police in getting the matter resolved. Always, phone us after phoning the Police. Anonymous complaints Other numbers you may find useful – Recently the Co-operative has received a number Glasgow City Council 0141 287 8866 of letters regarding anti-social behaviour from out of hours noise team anonymous complainants. Whilst we are very Easterhouse Police Station 0141 532 4300 grateful that these types of issues are being brought Co-operative mobile number to our attention we feel it is important to advise of (if you would like to text us) 07717 767 618 difficulties we experience when managing certain types of complaints via an anonymous source. We thrive to keep our community safe and a Sometimes, it may not be possible to act on such nice place where people are proud to live. We complaints unless we can verify the complaint e.g. can only do this with your help. Please untidy garden. contact the office if you have any concerns. Spring 2016 3 2016 Rent Increase Consultation 30 tenants returned the questionnaire in relation to the rent increase and this represented a 4.3% response. The following outlines a summary of the responses: Do you think the increase represents good value for money? Yes No Do not Know 21 36 How do you think our rents compare with other areas in Easterhouse? Lower Higher Much the Same Do not Know 82515 On what should we be spending your rent money? Yes % No % Do Not Know % Day to Day Repairs 26 96% 1 4% Home Improvements 23 92% 2 8% Welfare Rights Service 11 69% 2 13% 3 19% Bursary Awards 3 20% 6 40% 6 40% Adapting Properties for Elderly or Infirm 20 87% 2 9% 1 4% Dealing with People not Paying their Rent 14 70% 4 20% 2 10% Telling Residents more about what we are doing 10 67% 4 27% 1 7% Grass Cutting Service for Elderly or Infirm 24 92% 2 8% Doing more with anti-social behaviour 18 78% 2 9% 3 13% Supporting Community Activities in the 19 83% 3 13% 1 4% Glenburn Centre Supporting Employment or Training Initiatives 15 75% 3 15% 2 10% Providing Crisis Loans for those affected by 11 61% 4 22% 3 17% Welfare Changes Energy Improvements 17 85% 3 15% Building more Homes 14 67% 5 24% 2 10% Clearly the majority of returns believe that the rent increase represents value for money with 70% saying Yes, 10% saying No and 20% not sure. 4 GlenburnNews 50% of tenants do not know how our rents compare with other Landlords in Easterhouse whilst just over 27% believe they are cheaper and only 7% believe they are more costly. The following table outlines how our 2014/15 rent compares with other Landlords as reported by the Scottish Housing Regulator: Organisation Average Weekly Rent Easthall Park £65.80 Blairtummock £66.61 Calvay £66.89 Gardeen £65.35 Lochfield Park £72.36 Provanhall £58.75 Ruchazie £67.38 Wellhouse £69.13 Scottish RSL Average Rent £76.92 The following outlines how our individual Average rents compare with all Registered Social landlords in Scotland Apartment Size Easthall Park Average Scottish RSL Average 1 apartment £37.92 £67.32 2 apartment £60.51 £74.72 3 apartment £62.13 £74.98 4 apartment £74.95 £82.98 5 apartment £84.06 £92.13 Over the last 5 years the Co-operative on average has increased its rents by 2.47% and this is the second lowest average increase in Easterhouse. Organisation Average Increase over 5 Years Easthall Park 2.47% Blairtummock 3.10% Calvay 2.76% Gardeen 2.72% Lochfield Park 2.52% Provanhall 2.56% Ruchazie 1.90% Wellhouse 3.42% Spring 2016 5 On what should we be spending Committee considers the outcome of the your rent money? consultation and business priorities in determining Clearly there is huge support for the majority of the annual rent and service charge increase. Part suggestions as to what we should spend your rent of this was taking into account that we had a 0% money on with day to day repairs, home improvements, increase last year and this is the increase we feel is adapting homes for the elderly and energy necessary to deliver our existing service efficiency measures being the main priorities. commitments and plan for future requirements. Further analysis will need to be undertaken on Below are figures of proposed rent increases for whether we will continue to provide bursary awards other landlords in Easterhouse. given there is a high percentage that are saying no or are about whether we should do this. Housing Actual increase 2016/17 Association April 2015 increase (planned) We normally set aside £1,500 for bursaries which is Blairtummock 2.0% 1.5% 0.06% of our overall income for the year or 4p per Calvay 2.0% 1.0% tenant per week. Gardeen 2.0% 1.5% Please watch this space in future newsletters. Lochfield Park 2.0% 1.2% Can we thank tenants for returning their Provanhall 1.6% 1.2% consultation forms as we need your support to Ruchazie 2.0% 1.0% direct future services. Wellhouse 3.0% 1.5% It is our intention to write to all tenants individually that returned the consultation document to provide - If you are in receipt of Universal Credit: further responses to specific queries raised. You are responsible for notifying DWP of your rent increase. We have recently sent out draft letters to Congratulations also to our prize draw winners for affected tenants. If this is you, please fill out the returning their responses, each wins £50. The personal details required on this draft letter and winner of this draw was Ann Kelly of Arnisdale Road. Congratulations Ann! send it to: FREEPOST RTEU-LGUJ-SZLG Value for Money Universal Credit Thanks to everyone who responded to the recent Post Handling Site B tenant surveys on value for money along with the Wolverhampton rent increase consultation. The Co-operative WV99 1AJ received a good response to both surveys and the results were positive with 88% of tenants who responded saying they are satisfied with the Alternatively you can hand it in to your services they receive. The results will be examined local jobcentre. in greater detail to see where we can improve to - If you pay by Standing Order: continue to offer good services to tenants. The You must notify your bank of the increased rent winner of this draw was Janet Cartwright of Wardie amount so this can be changed. Road. Congratulations to Janet! - If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit: You do not need to do anything as we have Rent Increase passed on details of our rent increase to the local Following consultations the Management housing benefit office on your behalf.