This week’s theme for the NHF Homes at the Heart campaign is ‘Making ends meet’, which focuses on affordability and supply. The key messages are:
• Lockdown has shone a light on the housing challenges many people face. People are living in poor quality accommodation, families are stuck in overcrowded conditions and older people are isolated in unsupported homes because better housing options are out of their reach.
• Coronavirus has also highlighted unsung heroes across the country who have carried on their crucial work, often putting themselves and their loved ones at greater risk. More than a million of these key workers live in the private rented sector on low salaries, many struggling with high rents and lack of housing security.
• We need an ambitious plan for building 90,000 homes for social rent matched by investment, to make sure many more people have the homes they need.
Jigsaw Group is in a good position to be able to address some of these disparities. With over 33,000 properties across 24 local authorities, we are able to meet at least some of that need for affordable housing and, as highlighted last week, we are on track to build at least another 2,100 properties by 2022.
The social value generated from improving the lives of tenants rehoused into the Group’s new developments is estimated to be in the region of £795,245 per annum.
Across the group we re-let around 3,000 properties every year, which is estimated to generate a social value of around £3.6m per annum.
Our mix of property types and tenures, from single occupancy supported accommodation to family homes, means that we can support a large cross section of society into suitable properties.
Through Snugg Homes we are leading the way with shared ownership, giving an affordable option to first time buyers.
The lockdown has put many residents under extra financial pressure, as the restrictions mean they are unable to work. Our revenues team has been there to provide extra support to those who have struggled.
Since lockdown measures were introduced in March, the Money Advice team has dealt with over 1,052 referrals, resulting in an extra £889,763 in the pockets of our tenants.
These are all fantastic achievements, but there is always more to be done, which is why we are joining the call for the government to invest more in social housing.
For more information about the campaign and the themes for upcoming weeks, visit https://www.housing.org.uk/HomesAtTheHeart.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #HomesAtTheHeart.
