In partnership with national homeless charity Crisis, Surrey Heath Borough Council and the Hope Hub, we have developed a new programme known as ‘Renting Ready’ to help people who are struggling to find and manage a tenancy.
What Is Renting Ready?
Renting Ready teaches those taking part about tenant rights and landlord responsibilities, how to search for and secure a tenancy, and how to manage money and their homes on a low income. It is aimed at supporting people before they take up a tenancy, but also at those have already secured a tenancy and might need support to manage and keep it.
Following a survey of the people who took part in the programme, 60% said their confidence in managing a tenancy had improved as a result. With the feedback from the survey, we will continue to work with Crisis, Surrey Heath, and the Hope Hub, and other partners to further develop the programme to benefit future users.
The programme is featured in a new report Housing Associations and Councils Working Together to end Homelessness with a number of other projects across the country. A copy of the full report is available on the National Housing Federation website.
Director of Customer Experience Robert Mills said: “The Government’s Homeless Reduction Act is the most important piece of homelessness legislation we have seen in a long time. It aims to support anyone who is already homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, by getting housing associations, local authorities and homelessness agencies to work together to develop partnerships and projects which help people find, manage and keep a home. Time and time again, we are seeing that supportive intervention can prevent homelessness, so developing joint partnerships like these, and working on our own initiatives, are our top priority.”
