Greater Manchester Housing Providers
Our Anti-poverty Pledges May 2014
It ought to be a truism that research on economic and social issues leads to action, but it isn’t. Too many reports, including ones I’ve helped produce, gather dust on shelves. The work of the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission flouts this trend. It was written to spur organisations to practical action, exactly along the lines that this series of pledges by Greater Manchester Housing providers exemplifies. If anything, in the year since the Commission reported, the problems that the Housing Providers are pledging to address, have deepened. Fuel and food poverty are rising inexorably; access to digital and financial services is growing ever more disproportionate between the poorest in our society and everyone else; the role of low pay as a major cause of benefit dependency becomes increasingly evident. Through the twenty five years that I have been actively involved in their governance, Social Housing organisations have retained and even enhanced their understanding of what they can, and must, do to improve the wider living conditions and wellbeing of both individual tenants and neighbourhoods. These current commitments stand solidly in that tradition. I am delighted to be able to endorse them. I hope that they will provide a good example to other service providers and to other sectors of the economy. David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
Introduction We as Greater Manchester housing providers are distressed by the growing levels of poverty amongst our customers and in our communities. We believe we must act now to do more to alleviate and reduce poverty. We are making a commitment to act both individually and collectively, both within the housing sector and in partnership with others. We have identified five priority areas where we can make a real difference for our customers and our communities. We collectively pledge to support, promote, continue and implement a range of activities that help us address these priorities. We also recognise that, as separate organisations each with our own governance structures, for some providers some pledges are aspirational. Our pledges respond to and build upon the recommendations made by the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission.
Areas covered by Greater Manchester Housing Providers
Pledge 1 - Financial Inclusion Many tenants will not have access to mainstream financial products like banking services, electronic payments or affordable credit. In some areas as many as 20% of social housing tenants still do not have access to a bank account. Those on low incomes are often penalised through financial and organisational systems. The introduction of Universal Credit will mean for most tenants it will be the first time they are responsible for managing their housing benefit and paying their rent in full. We will improve access to financial services for existing and prospective tenants. We will do this by l Supporting and promoting Credit Unions, basic bank accounts affordable banking and credit products and resources such as ‘jam jar’ accounts. l Campaigning and lobbying with local government and other stakeholders for legislation that restricts the operations of high interest loan providers on the high street and online and for more affordable credit to be released by banks. l Working in partnerships to combat the activities of illegal money and doorstep lenders l Continuing to support and promote My Home Finance as an alternative to doorstep lending.
Pledge 2 - Fuel Poverty The struggle to afford heating and living in fuel poverty are key issues that have emerged from the personal testimonies and documented submissions provided by residents to the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission. A household is fuel poor if their energy costs are higher than the typical costs for their household type and their remaining income after energy costs is below the poverty line. Many of our customers are living in fuel poverty and as such struggle to afford to heat their homes. Some will avoid using energy for cooking and washing which inevitably has negative consequences for people’s health and nutrition as well as their wellbeing. Fuel poverty is a product of three factors; the cost of domestic fuel, the energy efficiency of the home and the household income. We will promote initiatives designed to reduce energy bills across Greater Manchester. We will do this by l Supporting and promoting existing energy initiatives such as the availability of free insulation and energy switching services. l Continuing to make improvements to our existing stock and improve their thermal efficiency. l Continuing to develop new properties to a minimum of Code Level 3 which exceeds the energy efficiencies required in 2014 Building Regulations by 25%. l Working with AGMA to assess the feasibility of becoming an affordable energy provider
Pledge 3 - Food Poverty Food poverty refers to the inability to obtain healthy food. It is characterised by worse diet, worse access, worse health, higher percentage of income on food, and less choice from a restricted range of foods. Above all, food poverty is about less or almost no consumption of fruit and vegetables. Food poverty can be caused by a range of factors, such as difficulty in accessing food shops, limited healthy food available in local shops, low income and high prices, knowledge of what constitutes a healthy diet, and how to prepare healthy meals. Food poverty is likely to have worsened by rising food prices in the UK. In the last 5 years UK food prices rose by 32% compared to 13% in France and Germany with the price of processed food rising the most. We will support the creation of a coordinated and sustainable approach to tackling food poverty. We will do this by
l Continuing to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables
l Supporting the expansion of models that divert food waste
l Coordinating an effort which will support the expansion of bulk buy food
l Supporting further coordination of food banks and the development of food co-ops.
Pledge 4 - Digital Inclusion Personal testimonies and evidence provided to the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission highlight the increasing shift of services and resources to online methods of delivery. Whilst this is more cost effective for service providers and can be more convenient for some service users, this increasing use of online modes of delivery does raise concerns for those that do not have the means to access the internet, creating an increasing fear of isolation and poverty – digital exclusion. Digital exclusion has a number of impacts, such as restricting access to the most competitive energy tariffs, meaning the cost of living increases. The introduction of Universal Credit will also see a shift in the benefit system to an online delivery method, causing problems for individuals who do not have access to the internet. However, digital technology also provides the opportunity to reduce certain aspects of poverty by providing access to services in remote areas. We will reduce the levels of digital exclusion in our neighbourhoods. We will do this by l Continuing to explore opportunities to provide or procure a low cost or subsidised broadband product for our tenants.
l Increasing the provision of free ICT and training
l Providing internet access via IT hubs in our offices and community buildings.
l Continuing to provide communities with recycled IT equipment.
Pledge 5 - Living Wage The Living Wage is calculated annually and is set at a level that can provide a basic standard of living. Support for a Living Wage is increasing. The GMPC research found that in-work poverty is a big problem with an estimated 137,000 people in the sub-region earning less than the Living Wage. It is also closely linked to Child Poverty; recent DWP figures showed that 61% of children living in poverty come from households where at least one adult is working. The opportunity for paid work and to gain further increases in pay provides the biggest opportunity for people to move out of poverty. We will support the development of a Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign. In supporting a living wage we will
l Pay the Living Wage *
l Seek accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation as Living Wage employers *
l Continue to recruit and employ local residents wherever possible
l Continue to offer apprenticeships to our young people and other routes into employment to our tenants generally l Support a Greater Manchester Living Wage campaign to promote the adoption of a Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation and currently at ÂŁ7.65 per hour for workers outside London. * Due to contractual/commercial reasons Guiness Northern Counties and Adactus are not able to
deliver this currently.
Wider Commitment In addition to our pledges we will: l 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 l Support the development of an economy for all by continuing to work with the Greater Manchester Poverty Action Group, the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission and New Economy.
l Continue to campaign and lobby against the damaging aspects of Welfare Reform.
l Use equality analysis to ensure that all our services and strategies are ‘poverty proofed’.
How we will monitor progress
l We will develop a base line of activity against each pledge by September 2014
l We will report progress we have made against each pledge in one year’s time. Progress will be reported to the Greater Manchester Housing Providers and the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission.
Organisations Involved: Bolton at Home
Parkway Green Housing Trust
First Choice Homes Oldham
The Regenda Group
Adactus Housing
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
Arawak Walton Housing Association City South Manchester City West Housing Trust Eastlands Homes Great Places Housing Group Guiness Northern Counties Irwell Valley Housing Association
St Vincent’s Housing Association Salix Homes Six Towns Housing Southway Housing Trust Stockport Homes Symphony Housing Group Trafford Housing Trust
Mosscare Housing Limited
Wigan and Leigh Housing
New Charter Housing Group
Willow Park Housing Trust
Northwards Housing
Acknowledgements: David Walker, Bishop of Manchester and his predecessor, Nigel McCulloch – for their work on addressing poverty within our communities John Lord, Bolton at Home – for representing the Greater Manchester Housing Group on the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission Cath Green - First Choice Homes Oldham, Julie Ralph - Bolton at Home and Neil McInroy – Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) – for their work in drafting these pledges
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