Affordable homes at Sonnet Park in Stratford-upon-Avon have been handed over to us and are ready for customers to move into.
We have partnered with Persimmon Homes South Midlands on the scheme which is made up of 22 affordable homes and 45 outright sale.
The affordable homes have been handed over to us and this was marked by a visit to the development by our director of development Richard Whittaker and Persimmon Homes South Midlands’ managing director Russell Griffin.
Our development project manager Alex Mackness said: “It’s fantastic news that homes have been handed over to us at Sonnet Park to help with the housing need in the area.
“At Citizen we are committed to working with our partners to make a positive difference to our customers and communities – and our partnership with Persimmon is an example of this.
“We’re looking forward to our customers moving into the homes at Sonnet Park and we hope they will be very happy living there.”
Russell Griffin, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes South Midlands, said: “Handing over a portion of our homes at Sonnet Park is the latest example of our successful partnership with Citizen, which is delivering much-needed new homes for local families.
“We’re continuing to work hard to prioritise quality and affordability for all our customers. As well as the homes which have now been transferred, the average price of a Persimmon home is 25% below the market average in England and Wales – extending the opportunity of home ownership to more local families.
“We’ll continue to work closely with our local partners to ensure our investment makes a positive difference to communities across the region.”
The National Housing Federation (NHF) has launched a campaign urging political parties to commit to a long-term national plan to solve the housing crisis which would support thousands of households in the West Midlands.
Many families are in desperate need of a safe, suitable and affordable home and we are backing the campaign, alongside several other housing associations in the West Midlands, ahead of the mayoral elections.
Figures provided by the NHF found that 64,382 households were on the waiting list for social housing in 2022/23 and only 13,579 new social housing lettings were available across the West Midlands.
This is broken down into:
Coventry – 7,469 households on the waiting list and 1,991 new social lettings were available
Birmingham – 20,625 households on the waiting list and 4,557 new social lettings were available
Hereford – 1,520 households on the waiting list and 740 new social lettings were available
Worcester – 3,238 households on the waiting list and 368 new social lettings were available
This means on average across the West Midlands at the current rate of lettings, and if no other households joined the waiting lists, it could take just under five years before every household currently on the waiting list can move into a suitable home that they can afford.
Our chief executive Kevin Rodgers said: “As rising house prices continue to outpace wages and where the average price of a home is over eight times average wages, the West Midlands desperately needs more affordable homes to serve a thriving economy.
“Clear political direction and support is critical if we are to provide the right homes of the right quality for the people of the West Midlands.”
The shortage of affordable homes in the region means that more and more people have had to turn to living in expensive, insecure private rented homes. This has left many facing impossible choices as they struggle to balance rent with other essential bills, or risk facing homelessness.
The widening gap between the demand for social housing and the availability of it is not an anomaly in our region. It is a result of decades of underfunding and underinvestment in affordable homes by successive governments. This has led to a chronic shortage of social housing and contributed to the housing crisis we’re in today.
Housing associations are ambitious to do more to tackle this crisis, but it will take a long-term commitment from local and national governments to address.
As the mayoral election in the West Midlands grows closer, access to affordable housing has become increasingly important among voters, with over half saying the government should prioritise building social housing, according to the NHF.
We’re joining the NHF’s call for political parties to commit to a long-term national plan to solve the housing crisis to support the thousands of households in the West Midlands in desperate need of a safe, suitable and affordable home.
Citizen adds more features to its self-service portal, My Account, offering customers a more convenient way to manage their tenancy.
The portal, first launched 10 years ago, and rebranded five years ago, offers customers the choice to pay rent, view their rent account, raise queries, and manage their repair bookings, online.
Frances, a Citizen customer, said: “I have recommended My Account to other customers as it is quick and easy to use, for me. I realise not everyone is OK with setting up and using My Account. I helped my friend set up a My Account with Citizen. He has been in his property since the 1990’s. He likes that repairs can be booked on the system, as he was always using up credit on his pay as you go phone.”
As part of its continuous improvement programme, the Customer Experience Team at Citizen carried out a review of how customers were using the portal. Taking customers feedback into consideration, the team has now added a set of new functions, offering customers more choice in how they access and use services.
The new features, include:
a webchat tool to guide customers through how to use the online portal;
an option for customers to upload images and documents to support your repair request, or query, so that we can respond more effectively: and
privacy protected messaging – any anti-social behaviour reports are securely stored in their account.
At the same time, customers can enjoy the legacy features of the portal:
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
can be accessed using your mobile phone or computer;
is a safe and secure environment with your own unique username and password;
removes call wait times and call costs;
offers a speedier way to resolve your query compared to sending emails;
allows you to book, change and cancel you repairs appointment;
allows you to update your personal details;
features an accessibility tool, that allows read aloud, enlarge text and different languages; and
frees up the call centre services to tend to more vulnerable customers and complex enquiries.
Scott Worth, Director of Customer Experience at Citizen, said: “We understand that in today’s fast-paced world, people lead busy lives, and traditional office hours may not always be convenient for our customers to access services – which is why we are enhancing our customer portal. The portal offers customers the flexibility to self-manage their account, anywhere, at a time, that suits them.We strive to improve our services based on customers’ feedback and the positive response to the portal, to date, is encouraging, and we want to build on this success. We encourage customer to continue sharing their thoughts and suggestions to ensure we are providing services that meet their needs.”
Find out more about My Account, hereand join the thousands of customers managing their own tenancy.
If you are a customer and already registered with My Account, but have forgotten your password or username, revisit the My Account pageto reset your login details.
Social housing landlords are now required to meet standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). In September 2023, we told you about the changes that the regulator was proposing to the Consumer Standards to ensure that tenants live in safe, quality homes, have choice and protection, and can hold landlords to account.
The regulator consulted with over 2000 tenants in developing the new Standards and invited all social housing tenants and landlords to give their views. Citizen invited you to have your say on our website and in the September 2023 newsletter and we also responded directly to the consultation, including valuable feedback from our involved tenants.
The new Consumer Standards and Code of Practice will be available on the Government’s website herefrom 1 April 2024, when they come into effect. They relate to safety and quality, transparency, influence and accountability; neighbourhood and community; and tenancy.
Citizen fully supports the changes and remains committed to ensuring that we comply with them. We will continue to provide you with further information on these changes.
The first round of the Citizen Local fund for 2024 has opened and you have the chance to apply for up to £3,000.
The fund is for projects and initiatives which promote and support wellbeing, reduce isolation and enhance local areas.
Customers living in our communities can apply for a slice of the £50,000 funding which is available throughout this year.
In our previous round we supported 11 organisations across the West Midlands.
Customer engagement partner Caroline Arrow said: “We’re thrilled to be accepting applications for the latest round of the Citizen Local Fund.
“At Citizen we want to work with our partners to make a positive difference to our customers and communities – and the Citizen Local Fund sees us work with organisations across the West Midlands to do this.
“The fund is there for a range of projects – big or small. We’re keen to support anyone or any group that needs some support to help others.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the applications submitted over the next few weeks.”
Applications for the second round of funding close at 5pm on Monday 13 May. Our Customer Assurance Committee will help us to shortlist the successful bids.
Find out more about the Citizen Local Fund on our Citizen Local Fund web page.
Watch our Citizen Local Fund animation below for further information:
Energy efficiency improvements in Coventry have reached a key milestone with work completed on 500 homes.
Last year we announced we were successful in wave two of the Government’s social housing decarbonisation fund alongside Coventry City Council to carry out energy efficiency works to 2,000 homes across the city.
We worked with the council to submit a bid to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and were successful in receiving a £23.8m grant and we’re also funding a further £44m to create a £67.6m investment. The money is being spent on energy efficiency improvement works to bring the homes up to an energy rating of a C.
Carbon emissions from domestic properties are the biggest contributors to the city’s carbon footprint (30 per cent of total) so investment to make homes more energy efficient not only reduces energy bills but helps to reduce emission too.
Arthur Beale is one of our customers who has had energy efficiency works completed. These include external wall insulation, fans in his kitchen and bathroom for ventilation and loft insulation – and said he can feel the benefit of the works.
Arthur said: “I am very happy with the work – my house is much warmer now it’s been done.
“Before I had the work done the walls in my house felt cold but now they are warm to touch and you can really feel it when the heating is on. I don’t have to put the heating on as much as I did before the works which is a bonus and the work on the outside of the home makes it look much better too.
“I would definitely recommend these works to other people living in the city.”
Once the energy efficiency works are completed, they reduce the potential for mould growth and reduce the amount of energy the property consumes to keep it a comfortable temperature.
Our chief operating officer Mads Nelson said: “It’s fantastic that we have reached this milestone and completed energy efficiency works on 500 homes and are so pleased to hear the positive feedback from Arthur.
“At Citizen we are committed to working with our partners to make a positive difference to our customers and create better quality homes – and this project has made a huge difference to our customers with an average saving of £250 in fuel once the works are complete.
“We are continuing to work with Coventry City Council, DESNZ and our contractors to deliver warm and energy efficient homes to our customers living across Coventry. We’re looking forward to continuing with the project and completing the remaining homes over the next couple of years.”
As part of the project, we also worked with contractors and Coventry College to train the next generation of retrofitters and help them secure employment. The students complete a bootcamp at the college, following which they are interviewed by employer partners and, if successful, can join a training academy and potentially secure full-time employment.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Coventry City Council, Cllr David Welsh, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the progress of the work to create a better standard of homes for people, especially as it means savings on energy bills for tenants.
“As a council we have seen more and more organisations like Citizen work with us in partnership, playing a major part in improving lives for people. There is lots more to do -when you consider the desperate housing need in the city, but this is an excellent scheme. I hope we can find ways to expand the work to more homes in the future.”
To support the implementation of the programme, we commissioned director of GJK Consultants Gareth Keith. Gareth said: “It is great to recognise the significant milestone of 500 properties completed and we are delighted to provide project management services to Citizen’s decarbonisation team on this complex retrofit programme.
“The investment will eventually see over 2,000 properties benefit from new energy efficient measures installed in their homes, making households feel warmer and ideally improving their health and wellbeing. It is great to collaborate with Coventry City Council, Citizen, Coventry College, GJK consultants, contractors, and suppliers in this ambitious project which will have such an impact to so many people in Coventry.”
Environmental sustainability is important to us. The scale of our operations means that our impact and the influence we have on the environment is significant and we’re committed to becoming an environmentally responsible business.
To understand how Citizen’s environmental performance compares to other social housing providers we engaged SHIFT environment, a specialist in sustainability in the social housing sector, to carry out an environmental assessment. SHIFT environment operates an accreditation scheme which rates an organisation’s environmental performance as either bronze, silver, gold, or platinum.
The SHIFT environmental assessment took place from September to November 2023 and looked at a wide number of business areas which included:
● Existing properties
● New build standards
● Leadership and strategy
● Facilities
● Supply chain
The assessment benchmarked our environmental performance against a host of other social housing providers and provides recommendations on how we can improve.
We are proud to share that SHIFT awarded Citizen a silver rating which recognises our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Over the coming months we will be working hard to implement a number of improvements in the hope of achieving a gold rating for our next SHIFT assessment taking place during summer this year.
We’re partnering with several organisations to help train the next generation of retrofitters as part of our social housing decarbonisation project.
To mark Careers Week, which runs from 4 March to 9 March, we’re highlighting our work with Dyson Energy Services and Coventry College to reskill local people in Coventry and employ them so they can retrofit our homes.
We were successful in wave two of the Government’s social housing decarbonisation fund to improve 2,000 homes across Coventry.
The training by Coventry College is delivered through Insulation Bootcamps which cover a range of insulation measures including cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, and external wall insulation.
On completion of the training, candidates are interviewed and offered employment with Dyson Energy Services. They then work on our homes across Coventry.
Since the scheme has been launched over 50 people have been trained. Many of the students were unemployed and recruited from referral networks across the West Midlands including the National Careers Service, Job Centre Plus and Coventry Job Shop.
Two of the people who are working as insulation technicians for Dyson on our properties in Coventry are Daniel Falcnoer, 21, and Adam Breagan, 29.
Daniel (above), from Coventry, has been unemployed since he was 16 and said he’s proud of what he’s achieved.
He said: “If it wasn’t for the Insulation Skills Bootcamp, I would never have known about the energy efficiency industry and the career opportunities. I’m proud to be helping to improve the energy efficiency of homes in local communities I have grown up in and helping people to lower their energy bills.”
Adam said he remembered how cold the flat was he shared with his grandma, and he feels good helping those who are vulnerable.
Adam added: “Attending the Insulation Bootcamp and joining Dyson Energy Services has been career changing for me. Being able to help communities very similar to the ones I was raised in has such a rewarding feeling – that feeling of making a difference.
“The bootcamp was a good way of showing people there is an avenue into the industry. I had no skills and qualifications in this area prior to going to Coventry College, but now through training at Dyson Energy Services, am thrilled to have recently successfully passed my NVQ Diploma in Insulation and Building Treatments in Construction.”
The energy efficiency works being completed by people including Adam and Daniel, will support our customers to reduce their energy consumption and bills. It will also help them stay warm and comfortable in their homes.
Our director of asset management Bridget Guilfoyle said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Coventry College, Dyson Energy Services and Coventry City Council to help train the next generation of people who will be retrofitting our homes.
“It’s fantastic to hear from Adam and Daniel about how much the training has benefitted them. At Citizen we work with our partners to make a positive difference to our customers and communities and this partnership has helped to train the next generation of retrofitters. We are delighted to be part of a project which supports people to learn skills in retrofitting on the job.
“We’re also really proud that we were successful with Coventry City Council in our bid for wave two of the social housing decarbonisation fund which helps us deliver more energy efficient homes for our customers.”
By undertaking the social housing decarbonisation project, we aim to help to reduce fuel poverty and domestic carbon emissions, which currently account for 30 percent of the city’s total emissions.
Vice Principal for business growth, engagement and partnerships at Coventry College, Gemma Knott, said: “We’re delighted to have worked with key stakeholders in the city to provide training opportunities that help bridge the national and regional skills gaps, raise awareness of careers in green skills and provide employment opportunities for our local residents.
“The fact that our learners, and the work they are now doing, is making an impact their own community – helping people to reduce their energy bills during the cost-of-living crisis is just remarkable.
“We’re looking forward to the future opportunities this collaborative approach will bring for our community, employers and residents.
“The bootcamps offer excellent routes to employment and truly make a positive impact to our community.”
Ian Morrall, managing director at Dyson Energy Services said he recognises and appreciates the importance of partnerships like this.
He said: “As a business, we’ve always played our part in helping to educate potential new employees to understand the opportunities that lay ahead, as well as the important part they can play in helping to reduce the domestic carbon emissions. Thus, leading towards the government’s overall target to net zero by 2050.
“We’re delighted with the progress Daniel and Adam have made with Dyson Energy Services and look forward to seeing their future careers develop.
“In addition to this, we’re looking forward to welcoming more recruits in the near future.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, at Coventry City Council, added: “It’s vital that we look at every opportunity to help people develop new green skills and this is an ideal scheme especially as the need to retrofit and design more sustainable homes will grow and grow.
“As a city we are taking all the right steps to lead on the green industrial revolution and this partnership between Coventry College, Citizen and Dyson is really positive. I’m delighted that local students are benefiting.”
The bootcamps being run by Coventry College are designed for those employed in the construction sector and are looking to upskill. They are also suitable for people in the West Midlands who are unemployed and looking for a career in green skills.
You can find out more and apply for the bootcamp here.
We’ve helped 11 community groups across the West Midlands through the Citizen Local Fund – including Benshow Housing in Smethwick.
The fund supports our customers and communities to thrive with grants of up to £3,000 available – in particular, we support projects which improve wellbeing, reduce social isolation, enhance local areas and bring communities together.
Benshow Housing used the money to hire a space and instructor to run African ladies’ dance fitness clubs for the over 55s in the Smethwick area.
The charity, which helps people who have found themselves homeless, wanted to provide women from the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community with an exercise class as it was found they couldn’t afford it or lacked motivation to join.
Kashindan who attended the sessions said: “I had a problem with my hip but since I have attended the sessions, I feel more comfortable. I also feel I have the courage to attend more classes and would attend these again if more happen as I have made new connections in the community.”
People from Smethwick and Sandwell attended the classes which were held at the Drum in Aston.
Chairman of Benshow Housing, Bernard Ntivunwa, said the group held seven sessions with the funding.
He said: “We applied to help African ladies in the area after we carried out research which showed that women aged between 50 and 75 in the area were very inactive and this was having an impact on their health. They also said they couldn’t afford recreational activity but if we were able to organise dance classes, then it would benefit them.
“We are very grateful to the Citizen Local Fund so we could arrange the sessions. The classes were African Zumba and the participants were able to suggest their favourite songs and if it was adaptable to the dance style then they could dance to their favourite tunes.
“We had a lot of positive feedback from the participants, particularly with mental health. Some of our participants said they used to be lonely and it helped them create connections with the community.
“We love to see our community getting along and being active. The people who attended the sessions are the ones who use our services. We provide support for refugees, asylum seekers and pensioners who are from the BAME community.”
Benshow Housing are hoping they will be able to host more sessions in future.
Customer engagement partner at Citizen Caroline Arrow said: “We are thrilled to hear how useful the funding has been for Benshow Housing and the ladies who attended the classes.
“At Citizen we want to work with our partners to make a difference to our customers and communities and the Citizen Local Fund does this.
“We love the feedback from Benshow Housing about the dance classes and the experience the community has had by making new connections at the classes and improving their wellbeing.
“Congratulations to everyone who has been successful in the latest round of the Citizen Local Fund, we’re looking forward to seeing the impact the funding makes.”
The other winners in the latest round of the Citizen Local Fund are:
BNH Forum, Birmingham – they will be using the money to refurbish the allotment pavilion at the Livingstone Allotments site. The pavilion will be used by the community for a lunch club and other uses such as craft and Pilates classes.
Coventry Rambling Club – the funding will help put on walks throughout the year for people who feel isolated or lonely.
FishFry, Birmingham – funding will help with a digital literacy initiative for older people. Fish Fry is a food van which provides Caribbean food and is helping older people develop online skills to order food online and pay bills.
Ludic Rooms, Coventry – The group will offer a workshop programme that provides informal skills development in communication technologies such as message forums and video chats so residents can connect with each other in William Batchelor House which is a retirement living scheme.
Mercia MS Therapy Centre, Coventry – the money will be spent on the project to help the wellbeing of people in the disabled community who have MS. The project will include arts and crafts classes.
Guardian Ballers, Coventry – the group will host a big event to engage local residents and young people on the Manor Farm estate. It will include basketball activities, wellbeing conversations and an opportunity to litter pick.
Spon Gate Community Church, Coventry – funding will help pay for professional help to clean and renovate a new building which they are relocating their hub to. The church provides activities including youth clubs, mental health drop-in sessions and free student study sessions.
St Luke’s, Birmingham – the community group will use the money to provide “bags of kindness” which included a hot water bottle, gloves and toiletries and toys for children. They also held a lunch and craft event.
The Noteables, Coventry – the group will use funding to develop the popular outreach sessions to day care centres, local schools, children’s respite centres, and homes for the elderly where community musicians lead music sessions and support people to take part in live music performances where they can sing, dance, play a musical instrument and enjoy the entertainment.
Warwick Scout Group – money will be used to restock and expand the group’s camping equipment by buying five tents so more young people can experience camping and outdoor activities.
The next round of the Citizen Local Fund will open in April.
Citizen, a leading social housing provider, has recently taken a significant step towards preventing homelessness by participating in the Commitment to Collaborate (C2C) process to Prevent and Relieve Homelessness, a new initiative developed by the West Midlands Combined Authority’s [WMCA] Homelessness Taskforce, in partnership with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC).
The initiative comprises a toolkit, that supports organisations and partnerships to work through practical steps and develop action plans they can implement to prevent and relieve homelessness – as well as spot the early signifiers of someone becoming homeless.
The toolkit’s primary objective is to facilitate a collaborative response to homelessness with roundtable discussions, case studies, discussion logs and shared action plans.
After working through the toolkit, organisations submit their pledges to WMCA and are honoured with the coveted C2C logo. To maintain accountability organisations are required to periodically report to WMCA on the progress of meeting these pledges.
Kevin Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer at Citizen, said:“We believe that preventing homelessness requires a united effort. Our participation in the Commitment to Collaborate initiative aligns with our commitment to making a tangible difference to preventing homelessness. These pledges are not just promises – they represent actionable steps towards a future where homelessness is a rare occurrence.”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the WMCA, added: “Right from the very outset of my time in office, I’ve made tackling homelessness a key priority. But it’s a difficult issue to solve and requires innovative and collaborative working, across organisations, to better support people at the earliest opportunity.
“That’s why I’m so pleased that Citizen has chosen to work with us and use our Commitment to Collaborate toolkit as part of its ongoing commitment to designing out homelessness. The pledges Citizen has committed to will make a significant and lasting difference in preventing homelessness for the people they work alongside.
“By collaborating in this way, we can help give people the support they need to change their lives for the better, building their resources, skills, incomes and opportunities so they can have a secure an affordable home from which to reach their full potential.”
Citizen has made three pledges:
Comprehensive pre-tenancy support: Citizen pledges to develop and implement a comprehensive pre-tenancy information and guidance programme, ensuring tenants have access to necessary resources, during their transition to new accommodation, to avoid becoming homeless.
Data-driven decision-making: Citizen commits to establishing a robust data analysis system to track and analyse tenancy breakdowns. The organisation will collaborate with key stakeholders and local authorities to share that information, to enhance data-driven decision-making in homelessness prevention and relief efforts.
Collaborative partnerships: Citizen vows to foster strong collaborative and partnership working with key stakeholders, including local authorities, support agencies, and community organisations. This collaborative effort aims to add significant value to collective initiatives, addressing homelessness prevention and relief, including pathways and support.
Citizen has developed a comprehensive action plan to guide the implementation of these pledges. This strategic approach ensures transparency and allows the organisation to report progress, accurately – demonstrating a commitment to real and measurable impact to end homelessness.
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