INTRODUCTION
Haig Homes is a charitable Housing Trust established in 1928 as a lasting memorial to Field Marshal Earl Haig, who worked ceaselessly to highlight and solve the problems of ex-Servicemen and their families. The full name of the charity is The Douglas Haig Memorial Homes. The Trust’s Patron is Her Majesty the Queen and its working name is Haig Homes.
It is also a Registered Provider regulated by the Tenant Services Authority.
CHARITABLE OBJECT AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE
Haig Homes’ charitable objective is the provision of housing assistance to the Ex-Service Community in housing and financial need. To date, it has chosen to do this by directly providing and managing general needs housing for its beneficiaries. How it continues to effectively meet its charitable objectiveis constantly under review by Trustees to ensure that it can respond fully to the changing expectations and needs of today’s Veterans.
Haig Homes’ charitable object, unchanged since its creation, prescribes that its assistance is available only to those who have served in HM Forces, or their widows, widowers and dependants. Separated and divorced spouses may also qualifyif they have dependant children of the Service person living with them permanently.
Local authorities do not automatically collect data about Service history from applicants for theirhousing, although there are some exceptions,and applicants for the Trust’s properties do not need any local connection to a particular area.
Given the nomadic nature of Service life, applicants particularly value this flexibility and although Haig Homes cannot effectively engage with local authorities throughlocal lettings plans or choice based lettings schemes,all authorities are made aware of the Trust’s local stock holding and they can assist in raising awareness of the services available to the Armed Forces.
Demand for the Trust’s homes remains strong soit has to be sensitive toavoid building up unrealistic expectations amongst applicants.
The Trust is the leading provider of general needs housing amongst the ex-Service charities and following the Review of Ex-Service Accommodation (RESA) study by Sir Patrick Brown has been confirmed, on behalf of the Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations (COBSEO), as the focus for all ex-Service general housing matters in the UK.
GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF PROPERTIES, AND SERVICE PROVISION THROUGH AGENTS
The Trust operates in 46local authority areas in England, as well as 6in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Its mix of general needs properties ranges from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses, generally arranged in small estates. The majority of properties are family sized three-bedroom houses and whilst this does not include sheltered, warden assisted or care home accommodation the Trust maintains close links with organisations providing such specialist accommodation.
There are currently over 1300 properties, 350 of which were built after World War One and 450 shortly after World War Two; the remainder were mainly built in response to reductions in the size of the Armed Forces. Many were builtas war memorials named in memory of particular individuals or Regiments. These properties will continue to be maintained as such and wherever practical, priority for letting will continue to be givento ex-members of those particular Regiments or Service.
Following the RESA Review there has been a programme oftransfers ofsome Regimental Memorial Homes to the Trust, which is overseen by the Charity Commission. In 1995Haig Homes merged with its sister charity, the Housing Association for Officers Families(HAOF). HAOF was originally for disabled commissioned officers and their dependants. Both Charities pre-dated the Welfare Stateso theTrust’s properties have been built to high standards, with generous internal layouts and good, landscaped exteriors.
These properties are spread throughout the UKon over 70 small estates of between 2 to 49 houses or flats, the exception being the Morden (London) estate with 272tenancies.
To help manage this wide geographic distribution, the Trustuses local agents to provide the first point of contact for some tenants. Agents are managed fromthe Head Office at Morden.
Agentsare chosen for their local knowledge and housing experience. Agents range from Housing Associations to Property Management companies. All must operate to a legally binding agency agreement which sets out service standards and their performance is regularly monitored. The number of Agents and the quality of the service they provide is kept under review by Trustees.
NEW DEVELOPMENT, MAJOR REPAIRS, AND PUBLIC SECTOR GRANT
The Trust has not used public money for many years although in the past it has received grant for major repairs, aids and adaptations.
SHARED OWNERSHIP AND RIGHT TO BUY
The Trust does not build for sale (or shared ownership), nor does it participate in right-to-buy schemes.
BENEFICIARY CARE AND SUPPORT, AND MEETING DIVERSE NEEDS
Although the Trust does not provide supported housing, full consideration is given to providing aids or adaptations if a tenant’s health subsequently declines after joining the Trust, and if the necessary resources are available.
The Trust enjoys strong working relationships with many organisations serving the ex-Service community, including the Veterans Agency. These range from individual Units, Regimental, Corp or Service Benevolent Trusts through to national ex-Service organisations.
The Trust works closely with the three major Service benevolent funds; The Army Benevolent Fund, The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and The King George Fund for Sailors as well as the twokey national charities, SSAFA Forces Help and The Royal British Legion, one of the oldest ex-Service charities.
SSAFA Forces Help supports both the in-Service and ex-Service communitiesparticular in the area of financial and welfare help, working closely with Haig Homes in assisting tenants to apply for benefits, pensions or to access funding for home adaptations and equipment when in need. SSAFA also provides residential care for elderly and frail people, purpose-built homes for the disabled and a home for officers’ widows, referring suitable applicants to Haig Homes for assistance.
The Royal British Legion, founded in 1921 protects the welfare interests and memory of ex-Service people, their families and dependants. From its earliest days the Legion has worked closely with the Trust, helping its tenants with a wide range of issues such as counselling, job retraining, war pension and benefits rights, welfare grants, convalescent and nursing care, outreach visits. Haig Homes continues to refer tenants to the RBL to access their support where needed.
STOCK INVESTMENT AND ASSET MANAGEMENT
(INCLUDING PROCUREMENT)
The Trust maintains its properties to a high standard. Tenants report all repairs to its head office at Morden and the Trust uses a network of contractors throughout the UK for this work. The Trust has adopted a national Schedule of Rates for its repairs and maintenance works and is already a member of Procurement for Housing, so that savings are realised where possible.
RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT
The Trust has benefited from the recruitment and involvement of two Resident Management Committee Members for the past two years and encourages tenant involvement in the running of theservice. Response to participation is varied however and some estates have decided there is no need for formal tenants groups, preferringdirect contact with the Trust or Agents. The Trust in response holds a national conference annually for all its tenants to enable fuller involvement for those that wish to be further involved.
The Trust also has a detailed resident involvement strategywhich outlines the various ways that tenants can participate. Through membership of a Tenants Consultation Panel (TCP)they are invited to comment on proposed new policies and procedures and for the last two years annual Tenant conferences have taken place. A popular form of consultation remains ourNewsletters and Annual Reports.
On a more individual basis, all tenants are consulted on a one-to-one basis when planned major works are going to affect their homes and they are offered an annual visit in their home by either our own staff or our Agents.
HAIG HOUSING TRUST
Haig Housing Trust is Haig Homes’ sister charity. It has comparable objects to those of Haig Homes but they have been updated to take account of the relevant changes in society and the Armed Forces. They also include serving members of the Armed Forces. It is entirely independent in form, but its Articles are so defined that it can co-operate fully with Haig Homes.
IN CONCLUSION
The Trust is highly regarded amongst the Service and ex-Service communities and demand for its properties and services continues. Its particular client group, the ex-Service community, tends to remain with the Trust for a long time as we offer the stability, security and certainty absent in Service life. The majority of tenants are self-sufficient individuals who do not appreciate over-interference in their lives. If they need help the Trust helps them find it, but otherwise we concentrate on the provision of safe, well managed, decent and affordable general needs housing.
P V R Besgrove CBE
Chief Executive
October 2010
- 1 -