Measuring the Impact
The Welsh social housing sector now spends £689million a year, has an economic impact of almost £1.3billion and provides direct and indirect employment to 15,700 people.
Despite the cuts in public spending that we will have to grapple with over the coming years it is important that we don’t forget the impact of our work:
- 6,000 additional homes created in three years
- 8,000 retrofitted homes through Arbed
- 2,500 people receiving affordable credit from the Moneyline Cymru pilot
- 1,000 new savings accounts for the financially excluded
- 366 mortgage rescues
As we embark upon the most challenging budget settlement since devolution began, now is the time for innovation.
In the run up to the Assembly elections next year, the Community Housing Cymru Group will run an ‘Are you on board?’ campaign during the first months of next year to champion the sector’s role. We need to keep the pressure on the parties to sustain investment in social housing and minimise the cuts planned in years 2 and 3 of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
As we reach out, we need to ensure that we speak the same language on avoiding hardship, not just in terms of our interests as service providers, but in the interests of the people we seek to serve.
- We want to use our resources to maximise training and employment opportunities across Wales
- We don’t want to live in a country where fuel poverty remains a killer
- We don’t want to live in a country where over 150,000 people rely on doorstep lending for their credit, or where 15,000 fall prey to loan sharks
We will continue to explore innovative approaches with WAG and other partners that will help us to do more with our asset base.
Now also is the time to embark on a real review of rents in Wales in order to set up a system that is fair and transparent but which, in contrast with recent developments in England, does not simply move us to a solely intermediate rental model. Recently, following the Comprehensive Spending Review in England the front page of Inside Housing featured ‘The end of social housing, 1945-2010’. Well, I for one, expect social housing and the commitment to social rents in Wales to continue. With an innovative mindset, we can achieve this.
Nick Bennett, Group Chief Executive, Community Housing Group
Training courses arranged by Community Housing Cymru
January
8 – Risk Management – An Introduction – North Wales
12 – Service Charges: Practicalities, Problems & Solutions – Cardiff
18 – An Introduction to Housing Associations – Cardiff
20 – Repairs for Non Technical Staff – Cardiff
22 – The Board’s Role in Strategy – North Wales
29 – The Board’s Role in Strategy – Cardiff
February
12 – The Board’s Role in Monitoring Performance – North Wales
12 – The Board’s Role in Monitoring Performance – Cardiff
14 – Welfare Benefits Overview – Cardiff
21-22 – Digital Storytelling – Cardiff
March
19 – The Effective Board Member – Roles & Responsibilities – Cardiff
19 – The Effective Board Member – Roles & Responsibilities – North Wales
28-29 – Digital Storytelling – Cardiff
For further details, contact Jennifer Horton Jennifer-horton@chcymru.org.uk or telephone 029 2055 7410 or visit our website www.chcymru.org.uk.