BRIGHTON & HOVE CITY COUNCIL

HOUSING MANAGEMENT

DEVELOPING A NEW INCOME MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

10 November 2010

The City

• Largest city on South East Coast; population 0.25 million • 12% Black and Minority Ethnic population• Comparatively large lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender

community (16% of population)• Local economy - strong focus on tourism and higher

education• High property prices and lack of affordable accommodation• Over reliance on rented sector (private and social housing)• 10,600 on joint housing register

Social and Economic Deprivation

A great, happening, lively city but…..

Brighton scores significantly worse than the England average for…

– Children in poverty– GCSEs achieved– Adults with mental

illness– Adults who smoke– Binge drinking adults

Sadly there are more drug related deaths than any other city in the country….

Our stock and tenants

Our Stock • We own and manage

12,302 properties

• We provide services to 2,000 leaseholders

• Our annual rent role is £42.4 million

• Five housing offices; inner city properties and several estates on the outskirts of the city

• Our estates are in some of the most deprived wards in England and Wales

Our Tenants (Survey 2008)

• 61% reported a long term illness

• 44% over 60 years of age

• 25% working in full or part-time employment

Many experience multiple deprivation…..

Performance figures

2004/2005• Arrears £1.3 million

• 50 evictions

• Collection rate 96.3%

• Performance bottom quartile

2009/2010• Arrears £0.73 million

• 14 evictions

• Collection rate 98.29%

• Performance narrowly missed top quartile

What did we do?

• Set up prevention and court teams; emphasis on prevention work

• Developed strategies to maximise main income streams • Maximised tenants’ household income • Jointly funded CAB money adviser • Referred tenants to wide range of advisers/support

workers

• Worked closely with ‘anyone who could help’• Extended opening hours • Purchased team car• Increased home visits and encouraged face to face

contact • Promoted ourselves positively

What did we do?

• Held out of hours telephone contact sessions • Provided a wide range of payment methods• Worked closely with Benefits; shared resources/IT

solutions• Trialled new initiatives:

– Housing Pre-Action Advice Scheme– eBenefits– Financial Health Check

• Worked closely with tenants; listened to ideas/suggestions

• Changed the payment culture• Evaluated evictions – learnt lessons about prevention

Housing Benefit – crucial to success

• 2005 - 65% of our tenants claimed full or partial housing benefit

• 2010 - 70% of our tenants claimed full or partial housing benefit

eBenefits Project

• On line claims systems introduced September 2008• Customer friendly way of claiming Housing Benefit• All team members trained to use the system• eBenefits/financial health check before tenants receive keys• Claims fast-tracked – processing time reduced from 26 to 6

days• Changed perception – help from the tenancy start – a friendly face

Housing Benefit – crucial to success

• Joint working with Benefits

• Joint funding for projects

• Basic bank account leaflet and benefit take up campaigns

• Comprehensive training and shadowing

• Information sharing/computer systems

• Access to Housing Benefit Take Up Team

• Emergency joint action to prevent evictions

A captive audience - financial health check

Introduced in January 2009 for all new tenants

• Basic bank accounts

• Housing benefit advice

• Free debt and money advice

• Free internet access

• The Credit Union

• Council’s low cost insurance scheme

• How to access low cost furniture/white goods

• Energy efficiency

• Loan sharks and door step collectors

The Next Step – Developing a Financial Inclusion Strategy

What We Did

• Sought free help from experts

• Researched good practice

• Set up Financial Inclusion Strategy Project Board

• Prepared draft strategy

• Held stakeholder event; invited tenant representatives and key people such as local voluntary and 3rd sector organisations

• Held tenant and staff workshops to inform and shape action plan

• Recognised financial inclusion was “bigger than the team” and handed responsibility to others

Our Financial Inclusion Strategy Objectives1. Develop a workforce committed to eliminating financial

exclusion 2. Assist our residents to make informed and effective

financial choices3. Ensure that financial inclusion initiatives are applied prior to

and throughout the tenancy process4. Maximise housing and welfare benefit take-up5. Promote and encourage the take up of basic bank accounts6. Promote the council’s Home Contents Insurance Scheme7. Promote and support the work of the Brighton and East

Sussex Credit Union 8. Promote and support the work of the Illegal Money Lending

Team9. Work in partnership with residents and other key

organisationsactive in the field of financial inclusion

Our advice to others

• Build strong relationships with Benefits and local advice providers

• Listen to and involve tenants in improving performance

• Analyse evictions

• Use every resource at your disposal

• Develop innovative solutions

• Take part in trials (even if they don’t work)

• Attend conferences – don’t reinvent the wheel

• In the absence of a financial inclusion strategy be practical

Our plans for the future

• In house money adviser

• Independent telephone debt advice

• Online money advice linked to council website

• Relocation with Rent Rebate Team

• Work with Benefits and other agencies to minimise impact of future changes

• Mobile eBenefits

• DIY possession action