As a merged business, we’ve significantly cranked-up residents’ cost of living hardship support and we see first hand the difference we are making for our residents and communities through our Social Impact work.
Since April, we have provided money guidance support to 3,762 people and we’re seeing 158 resident referrals per week to our Financial Inclusion team.
Our skilled officers help with money guidance advice, access to hardship support and boosting job prospects.
Working with these residents, we have secured £6.6 million in additional income, benefits, and funds into their households.
Longer-term jobs and career opportunities are a route to beating poverty. This year we’ve supported over 1,137 people to secure new jobs or complete accredited training, enhancing household incomes longer-term.
Pro-active help
With an acute cost of living challenge affecting many Southern Housing residents, we’ve been working proactively to support our households. By running targeted campaigns we’ve connected with households at greater financial risk before money challenges become more deep-rooted and complex.
- We’ve reached out to our 78,000 households
- Sent targeted support messaging to 14,800 residents at greatest financial risk
- Including 25,217 texts and 2,900 social media impressions
A positive response and casework follow-up has seen over 3,000 residents stabilise their household budgets.
The money guidance or career advice we offer can add up to life-changing amounts of money. The impact is big on people’s finances but also very often on their health and wellbeing.
Supporting residents’ resilience, preventing people going into crisis, we’re ensuring people afford the daily items that many people take for granted.
Hardship safety-net funds
The key to supporting residents’ resilience has been securing urgency hardship funds, food and fuel-energy vouchers to support over 5,000 residents.
During our first year as Southern Housing we have accessed 1,551 food vouchers for our most hard-pressed households and provided energy bill support to a further 2,543 households.
Our added value Fresh Visions Charity endeavours have funded £140k in hardship intervention funds and in the face of adversity, we’ve made extra-mile efforts to support food banks and pantries in our local communities.
Residents’ shaping activities
Working ahead, it’s essential we have residents at the heart of designing and delivering financial support activities, and its key that we are spotting solutions to the longer-term issues putting financial strain on our households. 24% of residents not in work face health and confidence barriers. We’re working with residents to overcome these, matching-up their ambitions and talents with job opportunities with local employers and our supply chain contractors.
Lack of access to affordable digital devices and digital connectivity holds some households back. We’ve supplied 372 affordable devices, working with property services and construction firm partners to improve digital connections.
Self-help tools
Our residents often skilfully manage very tight budgets and financial circumstances. Providing the very latest timely information on household budgeting options, switching for the best utility costs, or receiving quick benefit updates can all make a huge difference.
We’re providing residents access to a range of easy access apps including:
- Nudge App – providing timely household budget information
- Pocket Power and Lightening Reach – apps to switch utility provider costs or find urgency funds support
- Flex My Rent – a scheme enabling residents to plan and pay rent flexibility within household budgeting.
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