COMMISSION ON

HOUSING AND WELLBEING

COVER SHEET

Paper Title: / Summary of call for evidence submissions
Author: / Summarised by Paul Bradley – Project Management Assistant
For further information contact Paul Bradley at .
Rationale of paper: / To provide a summary of the submissions from social landlords and residents’ organisations about housing projects that contribute to wellbeing.
Action required by Commission: / To note paper. This evidence should be considered when drawing conclusions on how best to improve well-being through better housing.
Paper previously considered by: / This paper - including next steps - has been considered at a meeting with the Chair, Secretariat and Shelter colleagues.
Summary: / In January the Commission invited local communities and local organisations to provide evidence of housing projects that contribute to wellbeing. The Secretariat received seventeen submissions in total.
Each project is listed by project name, project owner and a brief summary. A more detailed version of the information received has been produced and is available upon request.
Key points: / Projects include:
Community bank (Easthall Park)
Environmental/green projects, Inc. derelict land projects and Passivhaus project (Partick Housing Association, Easthall Park, GHA & Dormont Estate)
Rejuvenation project (South Lanarkshire Council)
Leisure and development projects (Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative)
Therapeutic Art Workshops (Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative)
Drop in clinics / group work / advice projects (Blue Triangle, Viewpoint & Argll Community Housing Association)
Commission on Housing and Wellbeing
Current and Previous Initiatives
Project / Summary
/ Partick Community Growing Project / Partick Housing Association / This project involved transforming a derelict and vandalised play park into a welcoming and inclusive community growing space. The environment was improved with the creation of raised planting beds, a greenhouse, tool shed, shelter and seating area, edge treatments, improved lighting, and integrated rainwater harvesting.
/ Five-year investment programme of renovations and improvements to the Association’s local housing stock. / Glasgow Housing Association / GHA tenants in Dundasvale Court have received new kitchens, bathrooms, rewiring, windows, Secure-by-Design doors and central heating as part of the investment. New lifts and an insulated roof were also installed and the exterior of the buildings overclad. New controlled entry doors are also being fitted, landings upgraded, and new handsets for tenants installed and linked up to a newly-created concierge station.The area has also seen extensive environmental improvements, including a new community garden, a new bowling green and the upgrading of landscaped areas.
/ Environmental Improvement Works / Glasgow Housing Association / Part of a five-year investment programme of renovations and improvements to the Association’s local housing stock. This is the final stage of the housing stock improvements programme and involves residential gardens, communal areas and open spaces.
/ Welfare Rights and Debt/Money management project / Argll Community Housing Association - Financial Inclusion Services in Housing (FISH) / FISH Money Money Money Handbook
As a starting point, further research conducted in conjunction with tenants and local agencies has led to the development of a financial resource / self-help guide
FISH Young Person Handbook
Extending research to young people was essential to establishing relevant content for a financial guide targeting 15-18 year olds. The resource which includes information on: support whilst in education, training or apprenticeships, saving for the future, managing money conflicts with parents, managing a first home and smart budgeting has been rolled out to all secondary schools in the Argyll and Bute area.
Welfare Rights Project
From March 2010, four full time Welfare Rights Officers (WROs) have been employed by the partnership offering advice and support on income maximisation. These WROs represent tenants at appeals and tribunal hearings and work closely with local authority WROs, housing association staff and HEAT Argyll
Lottery funding ends in March 2015. If no other funding can be found this project is likely to end due to welfare reforms. This will leave tenants without access to welfare rights advice
/ Computer Clubs /
Craft Café /
Health & Wellbeing Roadshows /
Keeping Active Classes / Viewpoint Housing Association / Computer Clubs
Working with TAP into IT and KiTE to develop IT training and use projects in Viewpoint sheltered housing complexes
Craft Café
Working with Impact Arts to provide craft cafes located in our care homes which tenants and care home residents can access
Health & Wellbeing roadshows
Working with various local organisations to run health and wellbeing roadshows at sheltered housing complexes.
Keeping Active
Working with Dancebase, Yoga, Tai Chi to offer various classes at sheltered housing
/ Dormont Park Passivehaus Project / Dormont Estate / Dormont Park is an award-winning new private rented development of eight semi-detached two-storey homes completed in the summer of 2011 on a farm in rural Annandale, Dumfries & Galloway.
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The homes have been built to the very exacting Passivhaus standard which means that they effectively need no heating. Domestic hot water is supplied from entirely renewable sources.
These eight homes are occupied at affordable rents (equivalent to a social rent) to tenants on 20 year Short Assured Tenancies (the maximum permitted by law) with a guarantee of a further 10 years after that.
The project was initiated by Dormont Estate. In the spring of 2008 Scottish Government announced that it was to pilot an innovative new grant scheme to be targeted specifically at rural private landlords. The project was part funded by Scottish Government under the pilot Rural Homes for Rent Grant Scheme.
/ Group Work / Drop in Service / Blue Triangle Housing Association / Sessions are run on a weekly basis (Thursdays 5-8pm) providing practical activities, advice and guidance sessions, information sessions to current and former service users. This includes a Jobs Club (in conjunction with DWP), Sexual Health Awareness (NHS), Keep Well (Health checks NHS), Eye Checks (Local opticians), Healthy Eating & Budgeting (BTHA), Arts and Crafts (BTHA), Games Night / Service User meetings (BTHA).
/ Rural Homes for Rent Scheme / Haddo Estate / Scottish Government's pilot 'Rural Homes for Rent Grant' used to provide 12 homes for rent at affordable rents at Cottonhillock, Methlick as part of a 45 house scheme. A further 6 homes built and sold through Aberdeenshire Council's affordable homes for purchase scheme. The 12 homes built for rent were completed and let in July 2011. All 12 are still let to the original tenants. Mostly to young families with primary school aged (or younger) children. With the assistance of the grant these homes could be let at rents at a large discount to the open market rent and ensure that the scheme was viable as an investment to the owner.
/ Therapeutic Art Workshops / Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative / The workshops are led by the needs and interests of the service users accommodated within the project. Service users are given the opportunity to express themselves through a range of different art media, including for example; clay, a variety of different kinds of paints, pencils, pastels, and an array of other craft materials. The approach taken in facilitating the workshops is usually non-directive, allowing those participating to take the lead regarding what they would like to create.
/ The Underpass Rejuvenation Project / South Lanarkshire Council - Central Cambuslang Tenants and Residents Associations / The project Involved painting the exterior and interior walls of one small underpass and the painting of the exterior walls/stairway of a larger underpass and a large mural painted on the interior walls. The local Community Payback Team painted the walls and commissioned an artist to work with children from the local school to design the mural. The children worked with the artist in carrying out the actual painting of the mural. The project team also installed planters at the entrances to both underpasses and planted colourful plants and shrubs. They are currently looking to develop a Sensory Garden this year.
/ Gowkthrapple Organisation for Leisure and Development / Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative / Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative Limited (GPHC) facilitates a group of volunteers from the local Gowkthrapple community. Gowkthrapple Organisation for Leisure and Development (GOLD) organise and coordinate a variety of leisure and development activities and services for the Gowkthrapple community, working to try and improve the quality of life for local residents as well as improving the local environment. They volunteer, plan and coordinate in partnership with key organisations such as Police Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council, Overtown Parish Church and the local schools Gowkthrapple Organisation for Leisure and Development used National Lottery funding to encourage young people aged 4 to 18 to get active with the money used to help pay for sports equipment, venue hire, coach fees, first aid training
/ Easthall Park Community Bank / Easthall Park Housing Co-operative / This new and unique community bank service opened on Tuesday 1st October 2013. The service was developed in partnership with Grand Central Savings and other social landlords in Govan. The service has been supported by the Big Lottery Fund. The service will allow members of the communityto set up easy and safe bank accounts, supersaving accounts and receive welfare advice forthose that may be experiencing debtmanagement problems. There is also a special account called the “HomeGuard” account which is designed to guarantee automatic payment of rent and council tax as soon as your benefit or payment is received.
/ Derelict Land Project / Easthall Park Housing Co-operative / A key priority in 2014 is developing in partnership with Easthall Residents Association a comprehensive derelict land project. This project will involve renewing derelict areas of ground presently owned by Glasgow City Council, establishing sports and leisure facilities through a delivery model that will create significant local training and employment opportunities.