Committed to supporting our customers

Helping our customers sustain their tenancies is one of our top priorities.

Throughout the pandemic we have followed national guidance and worked with customers and partners at a local level to deliver the best outcomes for customers facing financial hardship. Since the start of the pandemic our teams have worked with over 1,700 customers over the past year, supporting them to find the right debt solution to meet their needs.

As the government’s guidelines over evictions and notice periods change, we will continue to support and work with our customers to keep them in their homes.  This will be further backed up by our Springboard Fund which was specifically created to help with the financial difficulties created by Covid-19.

We’re pleased to add our voice to the following statement from the National Housing Federation.

Housing associations are not-for-profit landlords to more than six million people in England. Any resident worried about paying their rent should contact their housing association, who will help.

During the pandemic and beyond, housing associations are committed to:

1. Keeping people secure at home

No one will be evicted from a housing association home as a result of financial hardship, where they are working (or engaging) with their housing association to get their payments back on track.

2. Helping people to get the support they need

Housing associations are helping residents to access benefits and other support to alleviate financial hardship, including supporting people to get into work where possible.

3. Acting compassionately and quickly where people are struggling

Housing associations will work with any resident who is struggling to pay rent to make arrangements that are manageable for them in the long term. Legal action will only be taken in serious circumstances – for example as a last resort where a resident will not agree a plan with their landlord to pay their rent, or where it is needed urgently in cases of domestic abuse or of antisocial behaviour that is putting other residents or communities at risk.