Posted on September 26th, 2023 by Elaine Davies
We’re listening to our customers more than ever before and this year’s annual report showcases the work that we are doing with customers to make sure their voice and influence is heard and valued across our organisation.
Some key highlights from the report include:
- real customer feedback – find out how our customers rated us
- the rent performance breakdown and how we use rental income to manage our homes
- how we’re tackling anti-social behaviour
- £40 million spent improving our homes – including new kitchens, bathrooms, gas boilers, fire doors and gas safety
- 637 new homes built
- 2000 homes benefitting from energy efficiency improvement works
- £51,500 grants awarded to community groups by Citizen Local Fund
In addition to this, keeping our customers safe in their homes is a big priority for us. We have set up a dedicated building safety team to make sure all of our buildings are safe and compliant with the highest safety standards. The team are carrying out annual home safety visits and in our larger shared buildings guaranteeing that are evacuation and fire safety plans are up to date.
The report also provides an update on our key regeneration and development projects as well as the work we have done to make our homes more energy efficient so that our customer’s homes are warmer and easier to maintain.
Chief Executive, Kevin Rodgers said: “This year’s annual report demonstrates our achievements over the past year whilst also recognising the things that we haven’t got quite right so that we can improve and build on them in the future. Customers are at the heart of everything we do, and their feedback is essential to help us understand how we can consistently improve our services.
“We are extremely proud of our achievements this year but know that we have more work to do and have ambitious plans set out in our 2023-2026 business strategy.
“Through ongoing collaboration, innovation and our customer-focused approach we will continue to provide safe, secure homes and sustainable communities where our customers and their families can thrive.”
Read our annual report in full here.
You can also take a look at our latest 2022/2023 financial statements that we published back in August.
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Posted on September 25th, 2023 by Elaine Davies
Citizen has helped nine community groups across the West Midlands in the latest round of the Citizen Local Fund.
The groups applied to the fund – which is a pot of money available for projects running in Citizen communities – and they were able to apply for grants of up to £3,000.
The money is allocated to groups which support our customers and communities to thrive. In particular projects that improve physical and mental wellbeing, reduce social isolation, enhance local areas and bring communities together.
Groups which have been successful include:
- Wildcats netball club – the club will use funding for bibs, kits and a ball for the team. It is based in North Solihull where Citizen has been part of a large regeneration project over several years.
- Transition Worcester Food Rescue – the organisation collects and redistributes surplus food from local supermarkets to local charities and individual families. This project helps avoid food waste and helps vulnerable families.
- Urban Goodies CIC – the group running in Holbrooks, Coventry, which helps to lessen food poverty. They provide a welcoming safe space in community centres and provide lunches, a community fridge and cooking lessons. They also have zero waste on their donated food.
- St Oswald’s Church Design Your Space project – Ozzy’s Youth Group based in Tile Hill, Coventry, meets every week and is made up of youths living in Ferrers Close. These blocks are planned for demolition and this project will help the youngsters look forward to their new homes and help them to design items to go in their new bedrooms.
- Roger Casements GAA Club – The group is a Gaelic football club based in Alderman’s Green, Coventry, and they are looking to grow the sport within the community. The money will provide more kit and equipment to support the growing numbers of their teams.
- Walking for Wellbeing – the group is based in various locations across Coventry. Funding is being provided to pay for posters to advertise the walks.
- St Peters Church – the group has used the funding to organise a series of children and youth events in the Square in Hillfields to promote positive use of the community’s space. The event was run during the school holidays and activities included arts and crafts, games such as giant chess and face painting.
- HOPE Coventry – this group is also run in various locations across Coventry and its Good Neighbours Coventry group provides a support group for people living with dementia and their carers. The funding will help with their work in this group.
- Coventry All Saints Parish: St Anne’s and St Margaret’s Churches – to help with a variety of groups including stay and play groups for young children, senior social meetings, mental health groups for ladies with crafts and refreshments and drop ins for school parents.
Geoff* is one of the people who attended the support group at HOPE Coventry for people living with dementia with his carer Sarah*.
Sarah said: “I was nervous about coming to Memory Lane dementia group, but we received a warm welcome. Geoff enjoyed all the activities, and it was wonderful for me to talk to others in similar circumstances. It is an amazing safe place to be, we love it.”
Jess Day-Pollard from HOPE Coventry said the group is so pleased to have been successful in the Citizen Local Fund.
Jess said: “We’re delighted to have received funding from Citizen, as this will help us support more people living with dementia and their carers in Coventry. We provide engaging activities and friendship, strengthening the local community.”
Another group which has been successful is Urban Goodies Community Interest Company who are using the money to provide food to disadvantaged people in Coventry. They currently hire the kitchen at their local community centre twice a week and with a dedicated volunteer chef, they produce two meals per week of restaurant quality for people who can’t afford food. These meals are then packaged in ready meal form for people to heat up in the microwave.
With money from the Citizen Local Fund, the group will be able to hire the kitchen for three days a week from September.
Director of Urban Goodies CIC Clare Allington-Dixon said: “This funding will support our volunteer costs for delivery of ready meals and the collection of surplus food. This can be up to 10 times a week for each volunteer. The food surplus is then distributed between our two community fridges and redistributed to our members, twice weekly.
“The grant received from the Citizen Local Fund will also enable us to open for collection of ready meals on a Saturday, thereby ensuring those in employment who are not normally able to access the project can be catered for.
“Furthermore, the funding will also be used for food we are not usually able to access via surplus (such as meat/chicken) that can be used for our ready meals. This grant is important at this juncture as we are entering into the winter period again where research has proven many people fail to eat properly so that they can pay for the gas and electricity bills. Our ready meals have been described by many as a “lifeline”.”
Customer Engagement Partner at Citizen Verity Darbyshire said: “We are thrilled that nine groups across the West Midlands have been successful in the latest round of the Citizen Local Fund.
“At Citizen we want to work with our partners to make a difference to our customers and our communities and the Citizen Local fund does just that.
“It’s fantastic to hear the impact that the money is making already by helping those living in our communities who are living with dementia and helping those who are struggling with food.
“Congratulations to everyone who has received funding in the latest round of the citizen Local fund. We are looking forward to it being used and seeing the impact it makes.”
The next round of the Citizen Local Fun is now open and is open until Tuesday 31 October.
Find out more about the Citizen Local Fund here.
*names have been changed
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Posted on September 21st, 2023 by Elaine Davies
Our brand-new retirement living scheme in Coventry has officially opened.
Swift Court, which provides 30 retirement living flats for the over 55s, replaces our older accommodation at Eric Inott House.
The new accommodation – which is named after the locally made, early 20th century Swift car – is all electric and has photovoltaic panels on the roof.
Each level of the scheme is also painted with dementia friendly colours. Walls on each floor are painted a different shade so it is easier for those who are living with dementia to remember which floor they are on.
Customers have moved into the retirement living block from a variety of backgrounds – some people have relocated from other retirement living schemes, others have downsized, and some people have moved in from their own home.
Jackie Sanderson downsized from her family home in the same area. She said she moved to gain company.
She said: “I love it here because you can mix with people and make friends. When I lived on my own, I did feel lonely sometimes so it’s wonderful living here.
“I downsized from my two-bed home, and it has done me the world of good for my mental health and wellbeing. The previous house was too much for me and I struggled with the stairs as they were difficult for me to climb.
“When I heard about Swift Court, I kept looking at it and asking when it would be finished. I was praying I would get a flat here. It’s great to mix with the lovely people who live here, I feel settled and happy.”
Brenda Old moved into Swift Court after staying in another flat in Radford and said she now has everything she needs.
She said: “This place is lovely, I wanted to move somewhere that was part independent but there was also support there if I needed it.
“I am very happy here. I sit in the lounge most mornings with some of the people who live here and it’s a nice community. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Linda Mason moved to Swift Court from Citizen’s former retirement living accommodation, Eric Inott House.
She said: “I adore this place. I love that I have a window that overlooks the park. I sit in my chair, and I watch the world go by.
“When I moved in here, I felt like I had come home and I’m so happy. This is as good as it gets, and I never want to leave.”
We worked with Harper Group to build Swift Court and also worked with Coventry City Council on a project to help people downsize and free up larger homes for families on the housing list.
Our director of housing care and support, Peter Gill, said: “We’re thrilled to officially open our Swift Court scheme in Cheylesmore and are pleased to hear how much our residents are enjoying living there and settling in.
“We’ve worked with together with Coventry City Council to help customers move into more suitable accommodation. So far, our customers at Swift court have freed up nine homes, allowing families living in temporary accommodation to move into them.
“We hope that our customers who have moved into Swift Court enjoy their new home.”
Our executive director of development, Nick Byrne, said: “At Citizen we build homes to meet the needs of our region and we’re pleased to see Swift Court completed and officially open.
“We worked with Harpers to build the scheme which is much greener and more sustainable as there is no gas in the building and the photovoltaic panels will help generate electricity for the building. Swift Court will also provide the perfect blend of independence and community for those who are living there and I hope they love their new home.”
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Coventry City Council, Cllr David Welsh said: “I’m delighted to hear that this scheme not only helps the community enjoy their new lives in Swift Court, but that it is providing crucial support for other families in the city too.
“There are many local families in need of housing and this project will really contribute to meeting the need for housing in the city.
“The scheme has received such a positive response from Swift Court’s new residents. The scheme has already demonstrated that it has supported older people in becoming more social, which reduces isolation too.
“It really is a fantastic project that supports both families in the city as well as our older population.”
Group Commercial Director for Harpers, Mike Harvey, said: “It’s a real testament to the teams within Citizen and the other stakeholders for all the years of planning and hard work that has gone into the scheme, it just goes to show how collaborative working can obtain such positive outcomes.”
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Posted on September 19th, 2023 by Elaine Davies
Changes are being made to the way social housing is regulated – and the customer part of the regulations is being strengthened.
The new regulations will see rules around health and safety inside and outside the home strengthened. Social landlords will also need to give tenants the opportunity to have their voices heard on issues that are important to them and the services they receive.
The Government is asking tenants and landlords for their views on the draft regulations before they come into force in April 2024.
You can find out more about the new regulations and how you can provide your thoughts here.
As a key part of the new regulations is giving tenants more opportunities to be involved in the decisions about their homes, we would like to invite you to look at the Citizens Together Hub. Here you can find out about the different ways you can have a say in the services you use.
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Posted on September 4th, 2023 by Elaine Davies
Energy efficiency works on 95 homes in Coventry have been completed thanks to Social Housing Decarbonisation wave one funding.
We successfully bid for £1.1m Government funding to carry out energy efficiency improvements to homes which had an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC ) rating below C.
Works included external wall insulation, installing energy efficient doors and windows, increasing loft insulation and improving ventilation to reduce the potential for mould growth.
The project was delivered in collaboration with Coventry City Council, and so far, the scheme is one of the first three in the country to be completed in June 2023.
Customer Ntombiyelanga Mgutshini had energy improvement works carried out on her home including new windows and doors. She said she is looking forward to seeing the difference it makes.
She said: “My house looks much better than before and I would definitely recommend having the works done if you are offered it.
“My home felt cold previously and it felt like I would put the heating on, and it wouldn’t make much difference. Now I’ve had the work done I’m looking forward to seeing the impact it makes in the winter.
“I felt really excited when the work was offered to me as it will help save energy and potentially money in the winter.”
Now works are complete all the 95 homes have achieved an EPC rating of C.
As a housing association we could only bid for funding in the first wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund if we entered a joint bid with the local authority.
Our head of strategic asset management Chris Morris said: “It’s fantastic news that we have completed works to 95 homes across Coventry thanks to funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
“We’re pleased to hear that Mrs Mgutshini and many others are happy with the improvements and are looking forward to seeing the benefits of the work and that she would recommend it to others to have the work completed on their homes too.
“We worked with Coventry City Council on this project and delivering this successful project will help reduce the amount of energy used, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and reduce the impact on the environment.
“Over the next two years we will be working with Coventry City Council, delivering wave two of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund where we will carry out energy efficiency improvements to more than 2,000 properties across the city. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact this has on our customers.”
Successful applicants for wave two of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund were announced earlier this year and the improvement project is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
Cllr David Welsh, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: I’m really pleased to have been able to work so closely with Citizen on this project. As Council, we remain committed to working with our partners to raise housing standards across the city and projects like this are essential to that work.
“Nationally we are facing a crisis in housing which is impacting the lives of people in Coventry as well as up and down the country. That’s why we will continue to pressure the government to influence much needed change in national housing policy. We want to keep delivering transformative schemes like this because we believe they can drastically improve people’s lives, helping to lift people out of fuel poverty, but we need the government to support us in doing so.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said: “This project will have a real impact on these residents. Not only will it hugely improve the energy efficiency of their homes, but it will also help save them money on their energy bills.
“Improving the energy efficiency of homes in the city is absolutely crucial to our efforts to tackle climate change. This project is a step in the right direction but for it to have a widespread effect the Government needs to take retrofitting homes seriously and fund these projects appropriately.”
Gareth Keith at GJK consultants, who supported both Coventry City Council and Citizen in their successful bid applications and subsequent project delivery, said: “It is great to see the people of Coventry benefiting from energy efficiency improvement projects like this, especially through strategic partnerships between the principal social housing provider in area and the local authority.
“Building on the success of wave one, we are excited to be part of the strategic partnership in the delivery of wave two as this ambitious project seeks to deliver residential, energy efficiency improvements, at scale. These complex residential decarbonisation projects aim to tackle fuel poverty, deliver cost effective carbon savings to achieve the UK’s target for Net Zero by 2050, support the green economy and improve the comfort, health and well-being of social housing residents.
“GJK consultants are committed to supporting the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, local authorities and social housing organisations in achieving their decarbonisation objectives.”
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund makes further progress towards delivering the Government’s commitment to invest in the energy performance of homes and ensure that all rented properties achieve a minimum band C by 2030.
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Posted on September 1st, 2023 by Elaine Davies
At Citizen we have a proud history of providing supported housing and we have ambitions to increase our portfolio over the next few years.
Our vision is simple – to give our customers a choice of high-quality housing with the care and support they need to help them lead active, safe, healthy, and independent lives.
Friday 1 September is Starts at Home Day – a campaign run by the National Housing Federation – which celebrates the impact of supported housing on communities across the UK and makes sure everyone will always have a safe, secure home that meets their needs.
We have recently reviewed our care and support strategy and Citizen has pledged to focus on tackling homelessness and ensuring services are in place to prevent homelessness, relieve homelessness when it occurs, and offer sustainable move-on opportunities.
Over the next few years, we will:
- Work with partners to provide solutions to the homelessness problems which face the communities in the West Midlands. We will develop our homelessness service further and deliver schemes elsewhere in the West Midlands. This includes an extension of the House Project to other areas. The scheme is currently run in Coventry and sees homes matched to care leavers who are aged over 16 and as part of the scheme they take part in a life-skills programme.
- Grow our offer to tackle homelessness which includes developing a modern, purpose built home to replace Frank Walsh House temporary accommodation scheme in Coventry. We will also develop a homelessness support scheme in Kidderminster and deliver five properties under the Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme in Coventry
- Develop a support offer for victims of domestic abuse and work with local authorities to explore specialist accommodation such as safe houses.
Director of housing care and support Peter Gill said: “Starts at Home is an annual event which highlights the importance of supported housing. Good quality care and supported housing is vital to providing a safe, stable, and supportive place to live and can be the key to unlocking better outcomes for those who need it most.
“At Citizen we are committed to working with our partners to make a positive difference in our communities and that includes tackling homelessness and providing support.
“We have a long history of providing services to people who have found themselves homeless or are experiencing domestic abuse. Currently at Citizen we are committed to providing 600 new homes each year to help meet the housing shortage, our aim is to provide the right homes in the right locations, but also to ensure that we can provide housing management and support services to enable tenancies to be successful.
“We think it’s incredibly important we provide supported housing and we’re looking forward to increasing this over the next few years.”
Citizen’s current supported housing includes homes for rough sleepers and those who have experienced homelessness. We also provide housing for people who may have chronic health and social care needs that require a stable home rebuild their lives, as well as homes for single people at the Gateway in Coventry and Whitecross and New Town Road in Hereford. We provide homeless accommodation for families at Frank Walsh House in Coventry.
Care leavers are one of the groups who are most at risk of homelessness or tenancy failure and Citizen has been working with Coventry City Council to deliver the House project supporting young care leavers into permanent accommodation from the age of 16.
Citizen’s role in the partnership is to provide one bed flats which are directly matched to the cohort of care leavers when they are ready to move into their own home.
Each young person participates in several months of support, workshops and projects provided by the council team prior to being put forward for a tenancy. Young people are encouraged to form a network of support amongst the group.
Citizen is also meeting the need of older residents and has accommodation with dementia-friendly interiors, including some of the latest assistive technology to promote wellbeing and independence.
Find out more about Starts at Home here.
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