Introduction

In May 2014 we first set out our commitment to alleviate and reduce poverty amongst our customers and in our communities. Our pledges responded to and built upon the recommendations made by the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission and covered five priority themes; financial inclusion, fuel poverty, food poverty, digital inclusion and employment & skills.

In January 2017 we refreshed our pledges, building on the five existing themes and making a commitment on two additional themes; social value and housing supply.

We collectively pledge to support, promote, continue and implement a range of activities that help us address these priorities. We are making a commitment to act both individually and collectively, both within the housing sector and in partnership with others.

We recognise that, as separate organisations each with our own governance structures, for some providers some pledges are aspirational.

Our pledges directly contribute to the priorities set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy and the GM Growth and Reform Plan:

Growth

We built more than 8,000 homes in Greater Manchester over the last five years – a third of all new stock. With the right support we want to build over 12,000 new homes by 2021.

Public Service Reform

Housing providers are engaged in place based integration in all 10 GM local authorities, albeit at different levels.

We support our communities to be independent and self-reliant, and connect them to economic growth by reducing levels of worklessness, improving skills and tackling the complex barriers to independence that many people face.

Pledge 1- Financial Inclusion

We will improve access to financial advice and services for existing and prospective tenants. We will do this by

  1. Supporting and promoting Credit Unions, fee free bank accounts, affordable banking and credit products.
  2. Working in partnerships to combat the activities of illegal money and doorstep lenders
  3. Providing and promoting services such as budgeting skills or debt and money advice that are aimed at improving customers’ financial literacy.
  4. Working in partnership locally to identify the best deals for our customers on services such as access to technology, broadband and essentials such as white goods, furniture and clothing and to actively market these lower cost options.
  5. Providing advice, help and assistance for customers to successfully claim and maximise any benefit entitlements they have including dealing with the challenges of the new digital Universal Credit systems and those moving in and out of work.

Pledge 2 – Fuel Poverty

We will promote initiatives designed to reduce energy bills across Greater Manchester. We will do this by

  1. Supporting and promoting existing energy initiatives such as the availability of free insulation and energy switching services.
  2. Continuing to make improvements to our existing stock and improve their thermal efficiency.
  3. Working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to assess the feasibility of becoming an affordable energy provider
  4. Providing information and support that will help customers make better choices about their energy consumption and promote behaviour change.

Pledge 3 – Food Poverty

We will support the creation of a coordinated and sustainable approach to tackling food poverty. We will do this by

  1. Continuing to increase initiatives to grow and access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables
  2. Supporting the expansion of models that divert food waste
  3. Coordinating an effort which will support the expansion of bulk buy food
  4. Supporting further coordination of food banks and the development of food co-ops.
  5. Working towards a sustainable food system in collaboration with partners and communities through Strategic Food Partnerships and the adoption of the Sustainable Food Cities Framework.

Pledge 4 – Digital Inclusion

We will reduce the levels of digital exclusion in our neighbourhoods. We will do this by

  1. Increasing the provision of free ICT and training
  2. Providing internet access via IT hubs in our offices and community buildings.
  3. Continuing to provide communities with recycled IT equipment.

Pledge 5 – Social Value and theLiving Wage

We will use our influence to achieve social value outcomes that are relevant to our customers and communities. We will do this by

  1. Paying the Living Wage
  2. Seeking accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation as Living Wage employers
  3. Supporting a Greater Manchester Living Wage campaign to promote the adoption of a Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation.
  4. Adopting a consistent approach to maximising the value of our procurement and supply chain by adopting and implementing the principles in the GMCA Social Value Policy.

Pledge 6 –Employment and Skills

We will make tackling poverty an explicit aim in our business plans and strategies. In doing this we will

  1. Continue to bid for contracts for employment support work.
  2. Embed employment support work across our activities
  3. Reach the furthest from employment
  4. Continue to recruit and employ local residents wherever possible
  5. Continue to offer apprenticeships to our young people and other routes into employment to our tenants generally
  6. Improve staff awareness and understanding of povertythrough training.

Pledge 7 – Housing Supply

We will support the GMCA to deliver the homes needed in the sub region. We will do this by

  1. Working collaboratively on development sites and schemes to maximise impact and reduce costs
  2. Ensuring that the Right toBuy does not increase poverty through applying local discretion and by ensuring homes sold are replaced.
  3. Continuing to prioritise the delivery of low cost rented housing
  4. Helping to push up standards in the private sector by developing and delivering a GM Private Sector offer including empty homes, social lettings and home improvement options
  5. Making home-ownership schemes more accessible.

In addition to our pledges we will:

  1. Support the voluntary and community sector to address poverty and ensure that, wherever possible, social capital is increased at a community level to promote and enable self-help, independence and community resilience
  2. Support the development of an economy for all by continuing to work with Greater Manchester Poverty Action, the Greater Manchester PovertyCommission and New Economy.
  3. Use equality analysis to ensure that all our services and strategies are ‘poverty proofed’.
  4. Identify and respond to the needs of specific groups affected by poverty in our communities with particular focus on those who are negatively affected by welfare reform, those with mental health or substance abuse issues and those in low paid or insecure employment.

Ref / Measure
1 / Number and % of staff paid the GM Living Wage
2 / % ( and total amount ) of total expenditure spent through the supply chain within GM postcodes
3 / % ( and total amount ) of total expenditure spent through the supply chain with VCSE organisations within GM postcodes
4 / £x-worth of inward investment attracted into GM
5 / £x-worth of investment, or in-kind contributions to, fuel poverty initiatives within GM
6 / Number of pro bono hours of volunteering support / financial advice / legal advice / HR advice/business support delivered to VCSE organisations within GM through employee volunteering schemes
7 / Number of people from GM postcodes supported back to work by providing career mentoring for job clubs, including mock interviews, CV advice, and careers guidance
8 / Number of volunteers from GM postcodes supported in volunteering opportunities
9 / Income gained/saved for customers through debt and money advice, fuel switching etc
10 / Number of customers receiving IT training and support
11 / Number of new homes provided

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