Housing for Women Annual Review
Welcome to Housing for Women’s annual review 2010-2011 We are a charity and housing association and have been providing homes for London’s women for over 75 years. In these difficult times,the core of our work continues to be supporting women by providing secure, affordable housing and related services, helping our residents to make the most of their life chances. We also provide targeted services for women who have suffered domestic violence, been trafficked or have been released from prison. Our Mission We work to empower women through providing good homes and services and challenging inequalities faced by women.
Chair’s and Chief Executive’s message This year is the two hundredth anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. Dickens was horrified by the conditions he witnessed of poverty in London and was a passionate social campaigner. Although we don’t face the same levels of poverty as the Victorians, the economic downturn means that times are hard for many on low incomes in London. We are facing unprecedented cuts in social care and benefits but the impact has barely started, with estimates that 80% of the cuts are yet to bite. At Housing for Women we are committed to providing good quality housing and support to give our residents security and stability to weather the hard times ahead. We were delighted to learn from our tenants’ survey that 84% of our tenants now feel we provide a good service to them, up from 72% three years ago. We continue to work closely with our dedicated Tenants’ Panel to continually improve services. We are pleased to report that we made another surplus this year after completion of our major property improvement programme in 2009. It is important that we rebuild our reserves so that we are in a stable financial position to face any adverse effects from the current economic situation. We are still developing under the old grant regime adding 61 homes to our stock last year with a further 38 in the pipeline, together with the successful transfer of services from Greenwich Women’s Aid. We said goodbye to two Board members this year: Tina Townsend who had served four years as Chair and Mary Laing who retired after twenty years’ sterling service to the Association. We are grateful to both of them for their hard work on behalf of the Association and are pleased that Mary continues her links with us as a volunteer. Our annual review sets out the challenges we face. We revisit the women we interviewed last year to find out how they are getting on. These are real life stories of the reality of life in London. What comes across is the resilience and courage of these women to make the most of difficult circumstances. We hope that the work of Housing for Women supports both them and all our tenants to succeed.
Barbara Riddell
Elizabeth Clarson
Chair
Chief Executive Housing for Women | Annual Review
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Hard times - the impact of spending cuts has been greatest on women, especially in London where living costs are higher.
Women In London: There are 4 million women and one third of these women are either Black or Minority Ethnic1
Women earn 87p for every £1 earned by a man – the highest gender pay gap in the country, which has not changed in the past 10 years1
630,000 children live in poverty – the highest rate of child poverty in any UK region2
Funding for services such as Sure Start cut by an average of £50 per child3
Cuts to housing benefit likely to affect London more than other areas of the UK4
Footnotes 1 GLAEconomics, Working Paper 45, Women in London’s economy – update 2010, Steven Edgson and Margarethe Theseira.Women in London’s Economy, GLA 2005. 2 London Child Poverty Commission, Legacy Report, March 2010 3 Tony Lloyd MP, March 2011, House of Commons Library
Cathy Come Home’s lesson will soon be learned again Guardian 14 October 2011
Work and pay Women are hardest hit by the job cuts in the public sector. This employs a high proportion of black and minority ethnic women, so they will suffer disproportionately as a result of these cuts. Cuts in childcare benefits The childcare tax credit has been cut from 80% to 70%, making childcare more expensive for working parents. Nurseries are closing and after school and breakfast clubs are hit by rising costs. Child benefit was frozen for three years from April 2011. Because this benefit is paid directly to the mother, this will mean women become more financially dependent on their partners.
Archbishop says benefit cuts trap jobless ‘in spiral of despair’ The Times 8 November 2010 Lone parents They will be affected as they have to meet childcare costs out of one income. Women as carers Women are traditionally the carers in the family. As state services are withdrawn they will have to take on ever increasing levels of unpaid and informal care work. These extra care responsibilities limit opportunities for paid work. There were 53,000 domestic violence crimes reported (2009)5
Costs for childcare, housing and travel are higher than anywhere else in the United Kingdom6
Violence against women Evidence shows that times of economic pressure and high unemployment lead to an increase in domestic violence. It will be harder for victims of domestic abuse to claim legal aid as the definition of ‘violence’ is changing. Funding for women’s refuges is being threatened as this is no longer ‘ring fenced’ and cash-strapped councils review their spending priorities.
UK unveils dramatic austerity measures Financial Times 20 October 2010 Older women Cuts in jobs and pay mean women are more likely to suffer poverty in old age because they are less able to save for retirement. By 2020 the state pension age for women will be 66 years. This has been brought forward six years earlier than originally planned, making it difficult for women to plan properly for their retirement. Homes Shortage of housing in London make it a city of high rents so cuts in housing benefit will hit Londoners hardest. In the first six months of 2011 only 454 affordable homes were begun, just 56 of these in London. In 2010 the number of affordable homes built in the same period was 4000.
Do we care about 300,000 more children in poverty? The Guardian 13 May 2011
Two thirds of pensioners living in poverty are women7
200,000 people live in overcrowded conditions8
The unemployment rate of 9.4% is well above the UK average of 7.8%9
Footnotes 4 The impact of tax and benefit changes announced in Budget 2011 and previously on households in London, James Browne, Institute for Fiscal Studies, January 2012. 5 Metropolitan Police Authority, Domestic and Sexual Violence Board, 2006-11. 6 Impact of Welfare reform in London, Considerations for childcare, Kate Groucutt, Policy and Research Director, Daycare Trust, 2011. 7 National Assembly of Women, Pensions, March 2010. The Scottish Widows UK Pensions Report, Sixth annual report on the state of retirement savings across the nation, June 2010. 8 Shelter. www.londoncouncils.gov.uk, key facts about London. 9 www.londoncouncils.gov.uk, key facts about London.
Last year we talked to some of our residents about how they cope with day to day living. This year we have returned to some of them to find out what has changed in their lives. These are stories of resilience, of making do, of getting on with things and ‘toughing it out’. As the costs of household and food bills rise, they told us about how they cut back. Low incomes are made to stretch through frugality and doing without. Some women are aware that they are not fully realising their potential but feel ‘stuck’. The women who are of working age long for secure employment that suits their personal circumstances. Low paid, insecure work is easy to cut back as the market changes. Against the odds perhaps, some lives have also got better because working or volunteering has encouraged a stronger sense of self-worth and confidence. Those women who are carers or single parents find that they need other spaces in which to ‘clear their heads’.
Iris Iris is very conscious of making the best of what she has, of making things last and not being wasteful. In part she attributes this to living through rationing (she’s 85) but it’s also a deeply held philosophy – she cares about sustainability. She belongs to the Green Party, buys her energy from a ‘green’ supplier, and is a committed recycler. Running taps and lights left on fill her with horror. Iris started working at a young age – her mother died when Iris was 14 and by the time Iris was over 17 she’d already had 2 jobs. Despite the fact that Iris worked all of her life, the nature of the jobs available to women like her means that she couldn’t have a private pension. She has to complete an annual form for pensions credit and worries a lot about her savings and how they might impact on her credit. Her £400 fuel allowance has been reduced to £300, but this had no real impact on her. Iris has always had a strong sense of public duty and been engaged in voluntary work with organisations such as Victim Support and the Samaritans; this has been a hugely rewarding experience for her. Iris continues to have a highly active and engaged life, from keep fit to current affairs classes and attending £5 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. She has resolved to keep trying to really live and enjoy her life. Iris has been a tenant of Housing for Women for 31 years. She’s pleased that there’s now a caretaker for the property she’s in and a handyman who cleans her gutter every month. Julia, the member of staff advising older tenants, has become an invaluable resource for Ivy.
Sarah
Fiona
Sarah is a single mother to two young children, an 8-year-old son (who has autism) and a 6-year-old daughter (who has sickle cell disease). The demands of parenting two young children with a range of complex needs take their toll on Sarah. While she is proud that she is coping, she is also frequently exhausted.
A single tenant in Kensington, Fiona works on a ‘zero hours’ contract as a teacher of young adults. The hours she has currently worked are fewer than the previous year because numbers of students have fallen.
Sarah’s receipt of a range of welfare benefits hasn’t changed since last year. She gets anxious about what the government may change in relation to benefits. She already uses a budget planner and yet finds it hard to cope with paying bills. She has been struggling for some months to find enough money to pay the water bill. There are various insurance bills she has to pay and she has noticed the price of food going up – she probably spends £30-50 a week on food. She doesn’t buy clothes very often. When Sarah’s daughter has a sickle cell crisis, she can’t walk and is in terrible pain for several days. Her son’s autism can be challenging. He is non-verbal – he communicates his feelings and needs through pictures. The support from the school is amazing, though sometimes even the school has to send him home when his behaviour is particularly difficult. Sarah is philosophical about her lot: “I need to stay healthy for my kids’ sake. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll be doing that alone. The unpredictability of the children’s demands makes the prospect of full-time employment or even committed part-time employment for Sarah impossible to sustain. Sarah has started volunteering once a week in the head office of a prison charity, which puts her administrative skills to good use. They are lovely people, accommodating about her family circumstances, and the experience generally helps to ‘clear her mind’.
Over the last year, Fiona has noticed the rising costs of food and other bills. Public transport is expensive. In January she hadn’t yet turned on her heating and was resorting instead to putting on an extra jumper. Although she is quite frugal in terms of what she eats, Fiona has to cut back on things if she wants to find enough money to do something nice. Fiona lives in a state of fragility, which she says has got worse. She checks her bank account daily. She is very conscious of what feels like a fine line between her current existence and suddenly finding herself tipped into having nothing. Fiona feels that it is important that a range of people can live in inner London to bring balanced and mixed communities. Some of these people will be doing work that others don’t want to do but depend on. It doesn’t seem right to her that people on benefits might be consigned to pockets of housing in other areas and it’s not at all clear where the ‘squeezed middle’ or people on low incomes are supposed to live. Moving people out of London feels to her like ghettoisation. Home ownership and secure employment feel out of reach for her and other people like her that she knows. The biggest step that would improve the quality of her life would be having a secure and guaranteed income and not having to worry about that any more.
Special Projects Domestic violence Our refuges in South and West London provide safe accommodation for up to 32 women and their children fleeing domestic violence. Families often arrive with few possessions, uprooting their daily lives and routine. They may be distressed, fearful, depressed and with low self esteem after fleeing an abusive, threatening or violent relationship. Women are welcomed into a supportive environment by trained and skilled staff who will help them recover from the trauma and distress of their ordeal as well as offering practical help and advice. At the refuge, women are able to use their time to reflect on their lives and experiences and, with support, they can start to make positive plans for their future. A structured programme ensures they take control of their lives and move on to their own safe permanent home.
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Housing for Women | Annual Review
Children are also witness to, and victims of, domestic violence and each of our refuges has a specialist Children’s Worker to provide support tailored to each child’s needs. This can include one to one sessions and therapeutic group play to help the child form positive relationships. Over thirty-five women and their children have moved on into their own homes over the year. I was covered in bruises when I was first interviewed at Housing for Women, but within two weeks I had been given a flat to move to with my 18 month old daughter. We settled in well and I have since been to college, done my A levels and I am now working full time. I have been with Housing for Women for eight years and I’m proud to say I now pay full rent. I have always felt safe and secure in my home and I am really happy with the help I have had.
I came into the refuge a timid girl but now feel stronger as a person and a mother. Being in this environment surrounded by women that I can relate to, made me realise it wasn’t only me and it wasn’t my fault.
Re-Unite South London The Project has 10 homes across South London and a Resettlement Worker to provide intensive support including: tenancy sustainment, finding work, education, finding schools and help with legal/custody matters in respect of their children. The support is intended to give the family stability by helping them to become self sufficient, supporting the mother to avoid re-offending. The Project has its own dedicated Children’s Worker to help the children re-establish healthy bonds with their mothers. Lily Stevens Re-Unite Project Co-ordinator
Two Re-Unite families have successfully moved on into independent accommodation this year.
I was so desperate. If Re-Unite hadn’t helped me, I don’t know what I would have done. I was worried on a daily basis. I dread to think what would have happened. But the thought of being in a hostel with the children was too much; I think it would have been devastating for them. They would have suffered.
Re-Place
Megan Griffin Support Worker
Re-Place offers second stage housing and support for women who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Many of these women have been born into poverty and are sold to traffickers or promised ‘work and a better life’. Re-Place provides temporary, self contained housing and visiting support to help with day to day activities. The women who come to the project have a variety of support needs including immigration, Post Traumatic Stress, budgeting, fear of leaving their home and isolation
Clients are referred from ‘safe houses’ when they are ready to live alone with support. We support clients until their immigration status is resolved and they are ready and able to move on to mainstream housing and independent life, or return to their country of origin. Four women have successfully moved on to independent accommodation this year. Volunteers Volunteers provide valuable additional support in the running of our refuges and include a parenting coach and trained counsellor.
We currently have 11 dispersed, self contained flats with a dedicated Support Worker who will develop a tailored plan, signposting to specialist agencies as well as providing a range of direct support.
We have also recently recruited 10 volunteer mentors to provide additional one to one support to Re-Unite and Replace service users. They will work with the women up to two hours a fortnight, helping them to achieve specific goals such as budgeting and accessing college courses.
“... my life now belongs to me .. and I can make plans for the future.”
All volunteers are trained, supervised and CRB checked.
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Our Tenants We have now hosted two tenants’ conferences, the first in Kensington and Chelsea and this year in Deptford at the Stephen Lawrence Centre. Our properties are spread across eight London boroughs and the conference provides an opportunity for tenants to socialise and have a fun day out with their families. We always have speakers and workshops on issues that affect our tenants and this year the focus was on money matters.
Older tenants’ worker A quarter of our tenants are pensioners and many live alone.
Julia Linfoot
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We have a dedicated worker who provides advice and support to our older tenants living in our properties. She helps with a range of issues from welfare benefits, ensuring tenants receive appropriate social care and advising on housing options. She is supported in her work by Mary Laing, who volunteers with social activities. Mary is well known to many of the tenants from her longstanding service as a board member and Vice Chair of the Association.
Housing for Women | Annual Review
Tenants’ Panel
Partner Organisations
The Tenants’ Panel had a very productive year.
A2 Dominion Housing Group Affinity Sutton Group Circle Anglia Limited Commonweal Housing London & Quadrant Housing Trust Hanover Housing Trust Medaille Trust Older Women’s Co-Housing, London Women’s Housing Forum, London
Early Spring discussions focussed on Housing for Women’s Tenant Survey which was carried out in 2011. The Panel helped put together the Survey questionnaire and considered comments and results, making suggestions for follow on work where satisfaction levels needed improvement. Panel members were also involved in reviewing procedures and had an input into the organisation of the tenants’ conference. They have also been closely involved in the monitoring of tenant complaints, contacting tenants to find out if they are happy with the way their complaint was handled. Since April 2011 a number of Panel members have been involved in the new SoLFed Scrutiny Panel, consisting of tenants from other housing associations in the SoLFed partnership. The Scrutiny Panel has developed a set of standards for organisations to achieve across their services and it will monitor how landlords meet these standards over the coming year. Come and join us. Wilhelmina Buckley, Chair
Tenants’ Panel members Frances Blyther Wilhelmina Buckley Roma Durban Hilary Irving
Mary Johns Twee Nguyen Nancy Richardson Yuleane Tulloch Barbara Watson
We work closely with two groups of small housing associations: SoLFed Housing for Women Ekaya Housing Association Lambeth and Southwark Housing Association New World Housing Association Southwark & London Diocesan Housing Association Solomon Group Innisfree Housing Association Shian Housing Association Women’s Pioneer ARHAG Waltham Forest Housing Association Referral Agencies Church Army Eaves Lewisham Refuge Look Ahead Housing and Care Medaille Trust The Passage Southwark Women’s Aid Charitable Funders City Bridge Trust Comic Relief The Henry Smith Charity J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Foundation Quaker Housing Trust Notting Hill Methodist Church Youth and Philanthropy Initiative – Quest Academy, Selsdon Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund We are very grateful for the support we receive from these organisations and donations from individuals. For donations to our refuges see the Refuge Annual Report. Housing for Women | Annual Review
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Maintenance • We carried out a painting and decorating programme for 43 homes. • We renewed kitchens in 26 homes. • We upgraded gas boilers to ‘A’ rating in 41 homes. • 27 homes received new bathrooms. • We carried out roof renewals and installed doubled glazed window units in four homes. • We were re-accredited with the BSI kitemark for our Maintenance Service. • We continued to up-grade our fire alarm systems to Grade ‘A’ standard. • We provided additional security and enhanced visibility to remove blind spots from the pathways in one our block of flats. • We upgraded the security of an internal door and door entry system to help some of our tenants affected by trespassers. • We achieved 100% in gas safety inspections.
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Repairs category
No of jobs carried out
Jobs carried out on time Oct 2010/Sept 11
Jobs carried out on time Oct 2009/ Sept 10
Emergency (24hr)
225
100%
100%
Urgent (7 days)
406
94%
95%
Routine (28 days)
2427
96%
97%
Total
3058
Housing for Women | Annual Review
New developments This year we took ownership of a large development of one and two bedroom flats in the heart of New Cross, Lewisham and a block of 22 flats in Southall, Ealing. We were able to work closely with both Ealing and Lewisham boroughs to allow clients from some of our supported housing projects move to permanent homes in these schemes.
“I love being a Housing for Women tenant. I have been very happy here and I really appreciate the services I get.�
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Housing Services Rents Cash collected Average rent arrears Average re-let time
09/10
10/11
99% 4.6% 22 days
93% 5.5% 28.6 days
Who we housed
Homes in management Camden Ealing Greenwich Hounslow RB K&C Lewisham Southwark Westminster
10 74 181 43 198 180 121 24
Total
831
Bedsits 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed Hostel spaces
164 291 254 81 9 32
Total
831
4%
5%
15% 24%
17.5%
30.5%
4%
Working full time Working part time Unemployed job seekers Retired Not seeking work Students Long term sick
Rent Levels 19% 09/10
2 Bed
Housing for Women | Annual Review
3 Bed
132.26
119.55
113.41
108.13
99.38
93.03
85.95
82.26
76.84 12
1 Bed
125.27
1%
10/11
Bedsit
14%
66%
4 Bed
Internal transfers Local authority nominations Exchange Referral agencies
The cuts mean women have to take on increasing unpaid care work, limiting opportunities for paid work.
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Money matters Income and expenditure account for year ending 30 September 2011 All figures in £000's Turnover Operating costs
Interest receivable Interest payable Surplus/(Deficit) on ordinary activities
2011
2010
5,062
4,131
(3,821)
(3,544)
1,241
587
10
52
(679)
(512)
572
127
In 2011 the Association made another surplus and is now on the way back to profitability after completion of the property improvements programme in 2009. Turnover of £5.06 million (2010 - £4.13 million) includes £4.06 million from rents and service charges paid by our tenants living in 799 self contained homes and 32 hostel bed-spaces. The remainder of our income was attributable to other sources such as supported housing grants, grants from charitable trusts and local authorities, donations, legacies and interest on deposits. At April 1st 2012 the Association took over the services of Greenwich Women’s Aid. Six months income and expenditure from those service are included in these accounts.
Balance sheet as at 30 September 2011 All figures in £000's Fixed assets Grants Depreciation
2011
2010
70,210
61,298
(46,845)
(40,800)
(2,844)
(2,560) 20,521
Current assets Current liabilities
3,509
5,947
(2,152)
(2,205) 1,357
3.742
Net Assets
21,878
21,680
Long Term Loans
17,528
17,902
4,350
3,778
21,878
21,680
Reserves Reserves and Long Term Financing
A full copy of the accounts is available on request from the Chief Executive 14
17,938
Housing for Women | Annual Review
At 30 September 2011, the Association owned or managed 799 properties and 32 hostel bedspaces. We plan to manage or acquire a further 38 homes over the next 12 months. 96.3% of our net fixed assets, after deducting grant and depreciation are social housing properties. The depreciated values of assets in our accounts are historic and do not reflect the current market value of the Association's property; we estimate that the open market value of all the Association’s property is in the region of £110 million although the value if sold as social housing would be closer to £40 million. At the end of the financial year the Association held £2 million in cash from its facility with Nationwide Building Society. This money will be use to fund the Association’s development programme in 2012.
How every £1 was spent 7 29 Services Management Repairs Improvement Other Interest and savings
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6
19 21
12 5
2010
10 35 11
29
2011 In 2011, after paying for interest on our loans, we had a surplus of 14 pence for every pound of rent to put towards rebuilding the Association’s savings which fund future re-investment in the Association’s properties.
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Board Barbara Riddell MA OBE (Chair) Appointed to Board May 2009 Barbara has over 30 years experience at senior level in central and local government and two of London's emergency services the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade (LFB). She recently retired from being Director of Resources at LFB where she took a particular interest in the recruitment and promotion of women in the service, for which she was awarded an OBE. Barbara was appointed as Chair of Housing for Women in June 2011.
Karen Bradshaw MA (Vice Chair) Appointed to Board January 2007 Over 20 years senior management/project management experience in the third and public sectors including specialist services development for minority groups, fundraising, financial management and IT projects. Sheila Belgrave BA MBA (Chair Diversity Working Group) Appointed to Board March 2010. Sheila has over 30 years experience in the housing sector as a senior manager, a housing inspector and has served on several housing association boards and sub-committees. She is also vice-chair of the SWAN Group Board. Sheila is currently the Chief Executive of Homes in Havering, an ALMO based in the London Borough of Havering in Essex.
Senior Sta
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Elizabeth Carson
Chris Lawal
Judith Chambers
Caroline Allen
Meera Bedi
Zaiba Qureshi
Chief Executive
Director of Property Services
Director of Housing Sefvices
Director of Finance
Director of Development and New Initiatives
Director of Supported Housing
Housing for Women | Annual Review
Caroline Donaldson MA ACA MBA (Chair Audit Committee) Appointed to Board May 2009 Originally trained as a chartered accountant, Caroline has over twenty-five years experience in a wide range of businesses and roles in public, transport and charity sectors. She is currently working as Bid Director for FirstGroup plc. Dr Fahmia Huda OBE Appointed to Board August 2011 Currently working as a management consultant having held senior policy and delivery posts in a number of Whitehall departments including the Home Office, Communities & Local Government and the Ministry of Justice. Other posts currently held include board director of Social Pioneers, a social business development agency, and director at Eurisco Solutions. Previously a board member of Community Housing Therapy and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and served for five years as a lay member of a local mental heath panel. Liz Marsh BSc (Hons) MRICS Appointed to Board September 2009 Surveyor with over 20 years commercial experience of many sectors of the real estate industry.
Marie-Louise Clayton LLB FCCA Appointed to Board May 2009 Marie-Louise has had 25 years experience in the private sector as a Finance Director for a number of large companies. She took a Law degree at Exeter University and then qualified as an accountant in industry. She now works as a non-executive for a number of private companies. Diane Herbert BA (Hons) (Chair Remuneration Commitee) Appointed to Board May 2009 Director of Human Resources at Channel 4 with over 20 years experience in organisation development, leadership, internal talent management and people management within blue chip organisations. Bernadette O’Shea Appointed to Board March 2010 Bernadette spent 20 years working in local government doing a variety of jobs including community worker, women's equality adviser, senior advisor on policy and performance and Director of modernisation and customer services. For the last four years she has been the Chief Executive of Hounslow Homes, a local authority housing 'company' responsible for the management and maintenance of 16,000 homes.
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Company Registration no: 420651 Tenant Services Authority no: L0970 Registered Charity no: 211351 A company registered not for profit, limited by guarantee and not having a share capital.
Principal Bankers Lloyds TSB Bank plc 39 Threadneedle Street London EC2R 8AU Solicitors Coffin Mew 22 Kings Park Road Southampton SO15 2UF Auditors Beever and Struthers Chartered Accountants Alperton House Bridgewater Road Wembley Middlesex HA0 1EH Internal Auditors Smith and Williamson Chartered Accountants 25 Moorgate London EC2R 6AY
Housing for Women Sixth Floor, Blue Star House, 234–244 Stockwell Road, London, SW9 9SP Telephone: 020 7501 6120 Fax: 020 7924 0224 info@h4w.co.uk www.hfw.org.uk
FS74779 Maintenance Services
Photography John Stuttle Laura Mtungwazi Design www.toastdesign.co.uk Text Housing for Women and Campbell Tickell, consultants in the not-for-profit sector