Housing First – Glasgow Housing
Association Perspective
Paul Tonner
9th May 2014
Glasgow Housing Association
Part of the Wheatley Group, GHA is
a not-for-profit housing organisation,
established after the stock transfer of
Glasgow’s council housing stock in 2003
We provide services to our 43,000
tenants and 26,500 factored
homeowners
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Better homes, Better Lives
 We have delivered
Europe’s largest housing
refurbishment programme
 Over £1 billion has been
invested changing the face
of the city
 Reaching the final phase of
the investment programme
has led to a significant shift
in our operational focus
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Delivering National Priorities
 Facing economic
challenges through joint
working and innovation
 Supporting people to stay in
their own homes
 Increasing educational
achievement in our
communities
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
 Creating safe, attractive
and sustainable
communities
Glasgow Context
 10,000 homeless applications per year
 A year-on-year reduction in the rate of repeat homelessness recorded, from
12.9% in 2006/07 to 4.8% in 2010/11.
 9,000 social lets in Glasgow in 2009/10 & 13,000 new housing applications to
GHA + demand on wider RSL network
 Continued pressure on social housing stock
 Financial pressures, Welfare Reform , meeting the 2012 target & re-structuring
of Homelessness Services
 Around 70 RSLs operating in City
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Why Did We Get Involved?
 A real partnership between Turning Point Scotland as support and care
provider and the RSLs as housing providers
 GHA’s Homelessness Strategy - places significant emphasis on
preventing homelessness and sourcing appropriate support from a range
of partners in helping our customers sustain their tenancies
 At the time, the project also fulfilled one of the outcomes of Glasgow’s
Homelessness Strategy, namely:
‘Improve outcomes for homeless households with addiction and/or
criminal justice issues, including accommodation’.
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Our Approach
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Involved in shaping the project to fit the
Glasgow context.
Use this approach to focus on tenants
potentially at risk - personalised approach
Stronger links with support partners &
know where to go if things go wrong
Partnership is key
Exciting project and one which could
shape how we deliver services in future to
this client group
Opportunities
Innovation
·
Risks around working with people actively
involved in drug misuse balanced with
needs of existing tenants
· Housing supply reduced pressures on
system
· SST versus short SST
· Housing readiness -including practical
things e.g. Furniture options
· Personalisation agenda
· Austerity measures and impact on direct
services – duplicate projects already
working in City?
Risks
People
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Cultural change for staff & customers
about how services are delivered
How we bring more partners on board –
small sample size
Housing First and Housing Options extending to other tenures & different
solutions
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
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Understanding our customers and how
we reach them – communication activity
Training for staff to be more effective collaboration with local RSLs & partners
Development of Glasgow model bring
new partners on board - confidence
RSLS to use existing policies & services
to help customers – section 5 referrals
We got leadership buy-in - Governance
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Delivery
 First section 5 referral received November 2010
 All 6 cases for the pilot housed by May 2011
 Cases housed in an average of 3 weeks from receipt of
section 5 referral
 As a result of SST, 2 cases ‘moved’ to another RSL in May
2011
 Replaced lets lost via SST in the South of the city
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Issues and Interventions
Loud music
Warnings issued
Causing damage
to flat
Joint visit
Abusive to staff
Referral to
Community
Improvement
Partnership
Police Visits
Concierge
assistance
Fighting in
communal areas
Graffiti
Child Protection
meeting
Think Yes!
Noisy Parties
Disturbing
Neighbours
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
Fire & Rescue
meeting
Housing summary
 9 Properties let in total
 7 In North West Glasgow (2 left via Second Stage Transfer)
 2 In South Glasgow
 2 Tenancies given up (0 evictions)
 5 Current tenancies (1 vacancy)
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
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Comments On Key Areas
 Support: Did it work, and if so, why?
 Tenancy sustainment: Better/worse than expected?
 Housing choice: Is there any?
 Communication: Was it effective?
Housing Options – The right idea, at the right time
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