in business for neighbourhoods: the evidences3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pub.housing.org.uk... ·...

iN business forneighbourhoods: the evidence

The scale and scope of housingassociations activity beyond housing

Summary and key findings

NHF SUMMARY:Layout 1 20/07/2009 12:44 Page 3

Housing associations provide morethan two million homes for morethan five million people acrossEngland. What is less well known isthat they deliver a huge range ofother services which support and addvalue to the neighbourhoods wherethey work. This work is for the wholecommunity, not just their ownresidents. The quality and range ofthat work means that housingassociations contribute massively tothe quality of life of the nation.

For the first time, the National HousingFederation has conducted a full audit ofthe neighbourhood services and facilitieshousing associations provide. The audithas discovered that there are more than6,800 identifiable projects, many with aplethora of different activities, andhundreds of neighbourhood facilities likecommunity centres, sports facilities andothers which contribute to the economic,environmental and social stability of ourneighbourhoods. We have also identifiedthat housing associations annually investat least £435 million in this work, madeup of £272 million of their own fundsand an additional £163 million fromother sources. This work benefits theequivalent of around one in ten of thepopulation.

We believe that even these impressivefigures are an underestimate of themovement’s true investment. The auditasked for details of what is oftendescribed as non-core activities. Manyhousing associations have this work sodeeply embedded that it cannot beseparated from the ‘core’ work ofbuilding, managing and maintaininghomes. Investing in neighbourhoods hasbecome part of the culture – part of theDNA – of the work. And it is worthnoting that this is in addition to the wellestablished, and equally critical,investment that housing associationsmake in the provision of support andcare where it is needed.

It is clear from the audit that this is thegreat untold story. Housing associationsare often the best resourced agencies insome of the most deprivedneighbourhoods in the country, and theyare committed to the long term. They aremaking responsive local decisions withresidents to provide a staggeringly widerange of services including communityradio, children’s play facilities, newbusiness start-ups, energy efficiencyprogrammes, healthy eating advice andfood co-ops, savings schemes, retailenterprises and village halls. And thatjust scratches the surface. If you canthink of a service, somewhere in Englanda housing association is providing it.

The sustainability and furtherdevelopment of this work will require thestrengthening of local partnerships andfurther work to understand more fullythe impact of this level of communityinvestment. There are important debatesto be had about future government andother investment. For now, though, let’scelebrate what has been achieved so far.It is something that housing associations,their residents and partners, should beproud of. And remember, this is just asummary of the report’s findings.Examples and greater detail arecontained in the full report availablefromwww.housing.org.uk/neighbourhoodaudit.

David OrrChief ExecutiveNational Housing Federation

ForewordDavid Orr

Chief Executive

1 iN business for neighbourhoods: the evidence


Key findingsIn 2006/07 housing associations:• Delivered 6,800 neighbourhood services and

provided or maintained hundreds ofneighbourhood facilities

• Employed 4,560 staff, directly, to deliverthese neighbourhood services

• Benefited around 5.5 million people.

To do this housing associations:• Invested almost £435 million, made up of:

o Contributions of almost £272 millionfrom their own money, and

o An additional £163 million secured fromexternal sources.

This £435 million investment divided intothe following:• Investing almost £365 million to provide

neighbourhood services, made up of:o Contributions of almost £242 million

from housing associations’ own money,and


• Investing £70 million to provide hundreds ofneighbourhood facilities, made up of:o Contributions of £30 million from

housing associations’ own money, and o An additional £40 million secured from

external sources.

2iN business for neighbourhoods: the evidence


• 574 services delivered• Around 67,600 people benefited• 640 staff directly employed.


o Contributions of almost £26 million fromtheir own money, and


Chart 1: Share of total investment by type ofemployment and enterprise service

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingemployment and enterprise services:

Building trade skills, business sponsorship andsupport, business start-up initiatives, fullemployment pilots, intermediate labour marketprojects, job search, life skills for employment,local recruitment incentives, qualifications foremployment, research into worklessness,resident service organisations, workexperience, youth accreditation, Youthbuildand youth enterprise projects.

“I think the Future Build Programme is anexcellent stepping stone into theconstruction industry.”

John, aged 23, participant on Places forPeople Group’s Future Build, a constructionskills training programme.

“I am really pleased that I have been takenon for an apprenticeship. The project hastaken me out of a dead-end job into properwork and a real future. You only get onechance in life.”

Adam Jones-Hendon, who gained anapprenticeship through Home Group’s Home2 Work Sunderland, a work placementprogramme.

Intermediate labour market projects 19%

Qualifications for employment 16%

Life skills for employment 14%

Job search advice & help 13%

Business start-up

initiatives 11%

Local recruitment

initiatives 9%

Full employment pilots 6%

Resident service organisations 4%

Business sponsorship & support 3% Other 5%

Employment and enterprise services



• 1,238 services delivered• Around 246,400 people benefited• 950 staff directly employed.

To do this housing associations:• Invested £66 million, made up of:



Chart 2: Share of people benefiting by type ofeducation and skills service

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingeducation and skills services:

Adult education, advice and guidance, after-school and breakfast clubs, arts and theatreinitiatives, capability building training forresidents, child care provision, children's playfacilities, community-based radio, confidencebuilding and independent living, cyclingtraining, education for women, educationgrants, educational literature, foyers, heritageprojects, holidays for children, homeimprovement training, homework clubs,Homestart, horticultural training, informationresource centres, inter-generational learning, IT learning initiatives, links with local schools,literacy and language training, musicalequipment and training, older people'seducation initiatives, parenting support, schoolcitizenship lessons, school support, skills forlife, voluntary work placements and walk-to-school initiatives.

“I lacked confidence before I came along to theclasses – thank you for changing my life.”Kelly Murray, learner on Accent Nene’s LearningCommunity, an education and skills programme.

Focusing nervous minds before the exam. One youngparticipant on Newlon Fusion’s Progress Model learningprogramme was initially hostile to learning but went on

to achieve four exam passes, her first ever qualifications.She later addressed 300 delegates at the National Care

Conference before successfully gaining employment withIslington Council.

Arts & theatre initiatives 15%

Workingwith local schools 15%

Parenting support 12%

IT learning initiatives 11%Adult education 10%

Capacity buildingtraining for

residents 9%

After school& breakfast

clubs 7%

Foyers 4%

Books &publications 4%

Other 13%

Education and skills services







Chart 3: Share of total investment by type ofwell-being service

Mark Todd started playing rugby throughTestway Housing’s Testway 7s. He is hard ofhearing and throughout his involvement withTestway 7s he was supported with speciallydesigned headgear to allow his hearing aids tobe worn during play. He represented Englandmen's deaf rugby team in 2006 and has heldhis place since.

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingwell-being services:

"If it wasn’t for Testway 7s and the help I received toencourage me to play rugby with my hearing problems, Idon’t know what I'd be doing now. The support was greatand now I play for England, how cool is that?"Mark Todd

Healthy living initiatives 19%

Harm reduction initiatives 18%

Sports & fitnessinitiatives 15%

Mental healthinitiatives 10%

Support work for individuals 9%

Familyintervention

initiatives 8%

Partnerships withlocal health

providers 6%

Health promotions 3%

Community health workers 2%

Other 10%

Assistance with access to services,chiropody, community health workers,cookery training, cycling, drugs healthinitiatives, family interventioninitiatives, food co-ops, harmreduction initiatives, health and safetypromotions, health clinics, healthyeating and living initiatives, healthneeds surveys, mental healthinitiatives, older people’s health andwell-being initiatives, outings andholidays, parent and toddler services,partnerships with local healthproviders, sexual health advice, sportsand fitness provision, support for olderpeople and support work forindividuals.

Well-being services




To do this housing associations:• Invested £44 million, made up of:o Contributions of more than £30 million

from their own money, ando An additional almost £14 million secured

from external sources.

Chart 4: Share of people benefiting by type ofpoverty and social exclusion service

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingpoverty and social exclusion services:

Assistance with opening bank accounts, BMEfinancial inclusion initiatives, charitabledonations, clothing grants, communitydevelopment finance initiatives, credit unions,financial inclusion awareness activities,financial literacy training, fuel poverty advice,household insurance schemes, housing benefitappeals, loans schemes, youth financialinclusion initiatives, money and debt advice,pay point services, rent deposit initiatives,

saving schemes, white goods and furniturere-use, web-based service delivery for ruralareas and welfare and benefit advice.

Moat is a large housingassociation based in the SouthEast. Moat’s financial inclusionteam works with residents to helpthem access banking andaffordable credit and promotesfinancial capability. Since 2000,this service has increased theincome of over 8,500 Moatresidents by an overall totalexceeding £7 million.

Assistance with opening bank accounts 22%

Credit unions 20%

Financial literacy training 15%

Loan schemes 13%

Money & debtadvice 10%

Rent deposit initiatives 7%

Savings schemes 5%Welfare & benefits advice 2%

White good & furniture schemes 2% Other 4%

Poverty and socialexclusion services



• 1,878 services delivered• Around 1.7 million households benefited• 1,250 staff directly employed.

To do this housing associations:• Invested almost £90.5 million, made up of:


o An additional almost £35.5 millionsecured from external sources.

Chart 5: Share of total investment by type ofsafety and cohesion service

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingsafety and cohesion services:

Additional police patrols, anti-bullyinginitiatives, asylum, refugee and immigrationinitiatives, citizenship classes, combating anti-social behaviour, community research,community history projects, communityinformation services, community publications,community radio, community safetypartnerships, community support officerfunding, crime support, domestic violenceinitiatives, sanctuary schemes, drug awareness,equality and diversity initiatives, events and

conferences, fire safetyprojects, LGBT hate crimeinitiatives, home securityand property safetyinitiatives, mediationservices, neighbourhoodwatch schemes,newsletters, police andjustice partnerships,restorative justice, streetsafety initiatives, support tocommunity groups, victimsupport schemes,volunteering initiatives,wardens, witness supportschemes, working withexcluded groups, youthadvice services and youthdiversionary measures.

Youth diversionary measures 27%

Community wardens 12%

Community events & conferences 10%Working with excluded groups 9%

Domestic violenceinitiatives 7%

General communitydevelopment &

cohesion work 7%

Supporting peopleto deal with the

effects of crime 5%

Initiatives toimprove street safety 5%

Equality & diversityinitiatives 3%

Other 15%

Safety and cohesion services


Maritime Housing Association(part of the Regenda Group)manages more than 4,000general needs and leaseholdproperties around Merseyside.Maritime contributed towards thepolice quad bike (pictured left).The quad bike is used to patrolneighbourhoods so tackling “fearof crime and lack of visibility” inopen land and hot spot areasunreachable via standard policevehicles.


• 1,472 services delivered• Around 1.7 million households benefited• 690 staff directly employed.


o Contributions of more than £62 millionfrom their own money, and

o An additional £16.5 million secured fromexternal sources.

Chart 6: Share of households benefiting bytype of environmental service

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide access to the followingenvironmental services:

Abandoned vehicles removal, community chestfund, anti-dog fouling measures, art and streetdecorations in public places, assisteddecorations, community facilities, communitygardening, energy efficiency measures,environmental enforcement, environmentalimprovements, environmental andregeneration community involvement, estatecaretakers, handyperson schemes, litter andgraffiti teams, tidy-up days, mobility schemes,nature reserves, payback partnerships (ex-offenders work on environmentalimprovements), recycling projects, streetparties and waste and bulky items collections.

Environmental improvements 17%

Estate caretakers 16%

Waste & bulky items collections 13%

Energy efficiency measures 13%

Litter & graffiti initiatives 12%

Handypersonschemes 7%

Abandonedvehicles

removals 6%

Environmentalenforcement 6%

Gardening &landscaping 6%

Other 4%

Environmental services


Some of the Summerfield residents who haveplayed a key part in Family Housing Association(Birmingham) Ltd’s regeneration of Summerfieldand creation of Summerfield Eco Village.


Over a five year period up until March 2007,housing associations:• Provided or maintained nearly 1,000

neighbourhood facilities ranging fromcommunity centres to sensory gardens, cityfarms, and travellers’ sites.


o Contributions of almost £151.5 millionfrom their own money, and

o An additional £200 million of fundingsecured from external sources.

Chart 7: Share of total investment by type ofneighbourhood facility

The audit findings revealed that housingassociations provide and maintain thefollowing neighbourhood facilities:

Alcohol treatment centres, allotments, arts anddrama facilities, business start-up units, CCTVand street lighting, children's centres, cityfarms, community centres, community cafés,community and sensory gardens, communitykitchens, community resource and informationcentres, cricket grounds, cycle paths andfootpaths, day and drop-in centres, footballfields, foyers, furniture recycling workshops,greenhouses, health and well-being centres,holiday homes, IT facilities, landscaping,libraries, hostels, nurseries, parks, parkingfacilities, places of worship, play areas, police

bases, schools, shop andretail enterprises, sportsfacilities, swimmingpools, training centres,village greens, villagehalls, women’s refugesand youth centres.

Community centres 37%

Community cafés 14%

Community resource & information centres 11%

Health & well-being centres 9%

Play areas & parks 3%

gardens & landscaping 3%

Walls & gating 3%

Sports facilities 2%

Youth facilities 2%

Other 17%

Neighbourhood facilities


Other findings• Housing associations work in

partnership with a huge variety offunding partners. The most frequentlycited was local government

• As well as providing financial support,housing associations also offer in-kindbenefits, notably staff volunteering theirtime and free room hire.


The audit is the largest study yet to measureand categorises the range, scale and scopeof the sector’s neighbourhood investment. It also identifies how this work is funded andwho benefits.

The audit surveyed the neighbourhoodservices provided by housing associations forthe financial year April 2006 to March 2007.

The audit also collected information on therange and number of neighbourhoodfacilities (e.g. community centres and healthfacilities) that housing associations investedin over a five-year period up until March2007.

In December 2007 an audit form with fullinstructions was mailed to 1,269 Federationmembers. By the close of the survey, in June2008, the response rate by stock owned bythe Federation membership reached animpressive 64 per cent. In addition, those

housing associations that responded wererepresentative of the range of associationsthat make up the sector in terms of size andregional distribution. To estimate the sector'stotal neighbourhood contribution the resultsreported in this document have beenweighted and grossed-up to reflectFederation members’ total stock.

The full report and the audit form and canbe downloaded from:www.housing.org.uk/neighbourhoodaudit

Neighbourhood servicesThe audit defined neighbourhood services asservices that are in addition to the provisionof basic housing management and theextensive services delivered throughSupporting People and registered careservices.

Throughout this report:• All staff numbers quoted are based on

fulltime equivalents. For example, onefulltime equivalent equals one staffmember working fulltime on a service fora year. If they worked for 50 per cent oftheir time this equals 0.5

• All total investments for neighbourhoodservices include the total of a housingassociation’s own investment (see below)and funding from other sources

• When calculating a housing association’sown investment for neighbourhoodservices this includes both staff costs andproject costs

• When calculating a housing association’sown investment for neighbourhoodfacilities this includes capital costs only

• A service is a top-level collective term usedto describe all projects relating to aparticular neighbourhood service that ahousing association delivers. A servicecould therefore include multiple largeprojects based in several locations, or itmay refer to a small single project

• Within each service, data was collected forthe number of people and householdsthat benefited. Only the most relevantfigure is quoted in this report. Forexample, if the service is more people-based then only the number of peoplebenefited is reported

• Housing associations used their owndefinitions of what constituted a benefitto a person or household. Benefits covereda wide range of activity includingproviding information, signposting peopleto services and individual support

• The numbers benefiting from the servicesthat housing associations deliver is basedon the number of instances of any benefitfrom an individual service. For example, ifa single person/household accessed twodifferent services, this counts as twopeople/households benefiting.

Technical details

How the audit was completed



National Housing FederationLion Court25 Procter StreetLondon WC1V 6NYTel: 020 7067 1010Fax: 020 7067 1011Email: [email protected]

www.housing.org.ukwww.iNbiz.org

The National Housing Federation represents 1,300 not-for-profit,independent housing associations who together provide two millionhomes for around five million people in England.

Housing associations have launched iN business for neighbourhoods,a project to improve performance and challenge negative perceptions ofthe sector and its customers. They have made fresh commitments toneighbourhoods, customers and excellence. For more information see www.iNbiz.org

This document is printed on re-cycled paperusing bio-degradable inks as part of

National Housing Federation’s commitmentto protecting the environment.

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The National Housing Federation’s audit showed that in 2006/07housing associations:

• Delivered 6,800 neighbourhood services and provided or maintainedhundreds of neighbourhood facilities.

• Benefited around 5.5 million people, the equivalent of around one in tenof the population.

• Employed 4,560 staff, directly, to deliver these neighbourhood services.• Invested almost £435 million to provide these services and facilities – made

up of £272 million of their own funds and an additional £163 million fromother sources.

• Offered a wide range of services including community radio, children’s playfacilities, new business start-ups, energy efficiency programmes, healthyeating advice and food co-ops, savings schemes, retail enterprises andvillage halls to name a few.


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