Housing associations?

Graces7

I was watching youtubes on sheltered accommodation and housing associations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-emLehDmmU8&t=341s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIG844u2ZTg

What impact are they making on the great needs here?

corks finest

Graces7 wrote: »

I was watching youtubes on sheltered accommodation and housing associations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-emLehDmmU8&t=341s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIG844u2ZTg

What impact are they making on the great needs here?

More than some city council's, especially here in cork

Mrs OBumble

They are an alternative social housing provider than the councils, with a bit more freedom cos they aren't bound by government rules in quite the same way.

Big ones like Cluid and Respond are ok. At the other end of the spectrum there are some very small housing trusts which struggle to be well governed and managed.

Fyi, Cluid is the Irish branch of St Pancras Housing (now called Origin Housing) from England.

Graces7

corks finest wrote: »

More than some city council's, especially here in cork

Thanks. That is the impression I was getting too. They seem so well motivated and the quality of the houses.

How do they select their residents? I looked Cluid up when I iived near one of their complexes and the rules... So they take no "problem"people?

Gatling

Graces7 wrote: »

Thanks. That is the impression I was getting too. They seem so well motivated and the quality of the houses.

How do they select their residents?

They take referrals from the various local authorities directly ,
ie they pick who they want from the housing lists and choice based letting schemes

Graces7

Gatling wrote: »

They take referrals from the various local authorities directly ,
ie they pick who they want from the housing lists and choice based letting schemes

Makes sense .. how much of an impact are they having on the shortage? Their places look good.

Gatling

Graces7 wrote: »

Makes sense .. how much of an impact are they having on the shortage? Their places look good.

I'd hazard a guess and say they are making a bigger impact than the local authorities are having lately ,
I'm in the SDCC area and the majority of properties offers given out in the last 2 years came from cluid for the most part ,
I've been putting in fot their properties for several years on the choiced based letting systems .

We have a cluid estate that is opening in July and all the properties come with new modern settings and solar panels to keep electricity costs down ,all their estates are managed and I believe you have to pay an extra maintenance fee in some areas on top of your rent (open to correction)

AndrewJRenko

Gatling wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess and say they are making a bigger impact than the local authorities are having lately ,

That could be something to do with the Govt policy of the last five years or so of funding AHBs to build/buy property instead of building traditional council-owned social housing.

Mrs OBumble

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

That could be something to do with the Govt policy of the last five years or so of funding AHBs to build/buy property instead of building traditional council-owned social housing.

No could be about it.

These privately owned companies (albeit ones that operate on a non-profit basis) have been given government money to build social houses. This money was given to them instead of giving it to local councils. Some people now have what they perceive as an "English landlord" as a result.

Have they been able to build more houses for the money than the councils would have, if the money was given to the council instead? I'd guess probably not, because they all face the same challenges with design, planning, approvals etc. Arguably the greater amount of bureaucracy (the council have to refer prospective tenants to the VHA) makes things that bit slower. And the VHAs do get to pick and choose tenants, which means that less-desirable people (eg ones with addictions or other mental health issues) are less likely to be housed.

And some VHAs come with ideological baggage: to be tenant of their, you have to agree to their collective philosophies, and participate in certain activities.

The VHAs do have the freedom to get money (or land) from other sources, and to let places built with that money under arrangements other than income-based-rents. I'm not sure how many of them do that: I know there are some schemes around the country where it's been done well, I'm also aware of one or two money pits that should never have been done. I don't know enough to make an overall assessment about whether they're making a real difference or not.

Graces7

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

No could be about it.

These privately owned companies (albeit ones that operate on a non-profit basis) have been given government money to build social houses. This money was given to them instead of giving it to local councils. Some people now have what they perceive as an "English landlord" as a result.

Have they been able to build more houses for the money than the councils would have, if the money was given to the council instead? I'd guess probably not, because they all face the same challenges with design, planning, approvals etc. Arguably the greater amount of bureaucracy (the council have to refer prospective tenants to the VHA) makes things that bit slower. And the VHAs do get to pick and choose tenants, which means that less-desirable people (eg ones with addictions or other mental health issues) are less likely to be housed.

And some VHAs come with ideological baggage: to be tenant of their, you have to agree to their collective philosophies, and participate in certain activities.

The VHAs do have the freedom to get money (or land) from other sources, and to let places built with that money under arrangements other than income-based-rents. I'm not sure how many of them do that: I know there are some schemes around the country where it's been done well, I'm also aware of one or two money pits that should never have been done. I don't know enough to make an overall assessment about whether they're making a real difference or not.

Thanks for this. They seemed so .. dedicated. When I was near Clifden a neighbour tried pointing me in their direction ( she did not know me! I read the rules etc and that was more than enough.. Not my scene but many seek that.