Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

    • East Anglia

    5 new homes to support former rough sleepers

    Members of Breckland District Council and Broadland Housing accepting keys to the new homes with people in backbround

    5 new homes to support former rough sleepers

    Five newly built homes in Thetford will be used to house former rough sleepers in Breckland and help them take the next steps into long-term accommodation. It is the culmination of a £926,000 partnership project between Broadland Housing Association and Breckland Council which is designed to tackle homelessness in the district.

    Councillor Paul Claussen, Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth at Breckland Council, and Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing Association, were given the keys to the new homes at a ceremony to mark the end of the 8-month construction project.

    The 5 x 1-bedroom homes – 4 houses and 1 bungalow – have been built with a timber frame design for speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon. The new homes, constructed by local firm H Smith of Honingham, are energy-efficient, with air source heat pumps.

    The 5 residents of the new homes had all previously been sleeping rough, with one of them having done so for 4 years. Before moving into the new homes in Thetford, they have lived in Breckland Council’s supported accommodation, supported by Solo Housing to prepare for their tenancy. That support will continue as the residents take on their own tenancies. Eventually the aim is that they will move on from these homes into long-term rental tenancies.

    Councillor Paul Claussen, Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth at Breckland Council, commented:

    By working in partnership on this project we have been able to lever in national funding to help deliver high quality, low carbon housing for some of the district’s most vulnerable residents. These properties will not only support former rough sleepers to access housing locally, but it will also help them rebuild their lives and become independent again. We want to end rough sleeping for good and through innovative programmes like this we’re on track to ensure no one is forced to spend a night on the streets or isolated in our community.”

    Michael Newey added:

    This project is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations such as Breckland Council and Broadland Housing work together in partnership to tackle the problem of homelessness. Both Breckland and Broadland are members of the Norfolk Strategic Housing Alliance, and this is a great example of when partners – including the support provider – work together to help end homelessness in Norfolk.

    These much-needed energy-efficient homes have been built to the high-quality standards we have for all our homes. By bringing back into use a piece of surplus land, we can ensure that more people leave the streets and can have a home to call their own.

    Outside new homes on Elm Road
    Kitchen of one of the new homes
    dining and living space
    bathroom

    Homelessness strategy day 2023 – Homes for Cathy

    Last week Broadland Housing attended a national Homes for Cathy strategy day on tackling homelessness.

    Around 30 other Homes for Cathy members and housing sector partners took part in the event, hosted by Hightown Housing Association.

    Michael Newey at Homes for Cathy strategy meeting 2023 (3rd from left)
    Broadland Housing Chief Executive Michael Newey (3rd from left)

    Our Chief Executive Michael Newey shared Broadland’s journey in working towards the 9 Homes for Cathy commitments.

    Homelessness prevention is not all about care and  supported housing. It should permeate into every area of a housing association’s policy and operations.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    Also among the speakers on the day, Holly Dagnall of Nottingham Community Housing Association described her organisation’s progress to meet the Homes for Cathy commitments.

    Chris Hancock from Crisis explained why homelessness is a housing problem and not about ‘fixing the individual’. He reported that B&B usage has tripled in the last 10 years. Also, that around 300,000 UK households could be forced into homelessness in 2023, driven by the cost of living and impacts of the pandemic.

    Key themes and insights

    During the strategy meeting, members and partners discussed :
    – Housing associations ARE homelessness organisations – if not us, who?
    – Board and executive team buy-in for adopting the Homes for Cathy commitments is crucial; an organisation’s work around homelessness should filter down from a strategic level.
    – Embedding the commitments is a continuous process, particularly with staff changes – it’s about a culture shift within your organisation.
    – Operational outcomes in housing are equally as important as homelessness services (although they are vital too!).
    – Data is king – knowing and sharing your data around homelessness metrics/KPIs such as evictions, abandonments and lettings to homeless households helps track the progress your organisation is making and motivates and empowers colleagues to do more.
    – Sharing stories is key – every organisation approaches the commitments in their own way and the good practice shared through the Homes for Cathy network is invaluable.


    No Homelessness in Norfolk – winter campaign

    As a member of the Norfolk Strategic Housing Partnership, we support No Homelessness in Norfolk, a partnership of people working together to prevent homelessness across the county.

    The latest No Homelessness in Norfolk social media campaign is encouraging people to contact local advice agencies and/or their local council as soon as they are worried about housing costs this winter.

    Typically there is an increase in homelessness in January and February. This year, with the cost of living crisis, this situation is likely to be more acute this winter than in previous years.

    At Broadland we are encouraging our tenants to get in touch asap if they are worried about paying their rent and signposting people to our cost of living help page.

    Norfolk Strategic Housing Partnership

    The Norfolk Strategic Housing Partnership was formed in autumn 2020, bringing
    partners together at a strategic level with a mandate for change. The members include:

    • Norwich City Council
    • Breckland Council
    • South Norfolk District Council
    • North Norfolk District Council
    • Great Yarmouth District Council
    • Broadland District Council
    • Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk
    • Norfolk County Council
    • Ministry of Justice Department
    • Norfolk Police
    • Police & Crime Commissioners Office
    • Norfolk & Waveney CCG
    • Norfolk County Council Public Health
    • Clarion Housing Group
    • Department of Work and Pensions
    • HM Prison and Probation Service
    • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
    • Voluntary Sector representative
    • Flagship Group
    • Saffron Housing Trust
    • Broadland Housing Association


    Work starts on new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk

    North Repps eco homes - architect image

    Work starts on new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk

    North Repps eco homes - architect image
    Architect’s image of new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk, when completed

    As world leaders gather in Egypt to discuss the climate emergency at the COP27 summit, Broadland Housing has started to build its first net zero operational carbon homes, in north Norfolk.

    We are building 19 new homes at Northrepps, using a range of property types to respond to local housing need.  Eight of the homes are for affordable rent and two for shared ownership. The remaining nine homes are being developed by Broadland Housing’s subsidiary Broadland St Benedicts for open market sale. The proceeds from these homes will go towards subsidising the affordable homes.

    Low-carbon impact construction

    All the new homes at Northrepps will feature an enhanced insulated timber frame, triple-glazed windows, air source heat pumps, air tightness with mechanical ventilation, and heat recovery to minimise energy demand.

    Photovoltaic solar panels on the homes’ roofs are predicted to generate sufficient electricity over the course of the year to offset the estimated electricity usage for the average occupancy of each property.

    The project has brought together a range of local experts to deliver on our commitment to low-carbon impact construction. 

    This commitment is particularly aimed at reflecting affordable ‘lived in’ costs – an issue which is becoming increasingly important for householders in the current energy crisis.

    The project team has been exploring the changes Norfolk developers and the construction industry need to implement to achieve net zero carbon.

    We have also been working with local contractors and suppliers to encourage them to engage with their existing supply chains to increase the effectiveness of workmanship and products, which can be replicated on future projects.  The key is to find the ‘sweet’ spot between construction technique and cost.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director

    Meeting local housing need

    The new net zero operational carbon homes are forecast to be completed in spring 2024. Households in housing need with a local connection to Northrepps and physically adjoining parishes will be able to apply on North Norfolk District Council’s website for them.

    The development at Northrepps is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the environmental impact of the new homes that Broadland Housing builds.

    The COP27 summit is focusing everyone’s attention on climate change, but the issues of environmental impact and energy affordability have been on our radar for a long time.

    We are now turning our attention to reducing the embodied carbon from the manufacturing and construction process along with providing biodiversity net gain on our developments. For example, trees used in manufacturing the timber frame that have absorbed carbon, along with a rewilding area adjacent to the site, will help offset carbon emissions from the construction process itself.

    Work is now in progress on future schemes to source construction materials more locally and provide wetlands for surface water drainage and nutrient neutrality.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director

    Martham – housing needs survey

    Broadland Housing homes at Trunch

    Martham

    Housing Needs Survey

    Broadland Housing Association agreed with Martham Parish Council to carry out a survey about housing need in the parish.

    If the survey identifies there is sufficient need for affordable homes, Broadland Housing Association will work in partnership with the Parish Council and local landowners to deliver either a 100% affordable housing scheme or a mixed-tenure housing exception scheme in the village, dependent on need and funding.

    Background

    Exception housing schemes are provided on land in the countryside that would otherwise not be permitted for development. The homes on an exception housing scheme are allocated using the Local Allocations Agreement. This ensures that homes are prioritised for households with a local connection to the parish where the scheme is located and the adjoining civil parishes. In this case the scheme forms part of a larger allocated development at the entrance to the village, off Repps Road.

    Housing need

    Housing need in rural areas can often be hidden and not necessarily visible to the wider community or statutory authorities. An individual or household is considered to be in housing need when:

    • they require separate or alternative accommodation AND
    • they are unable to rent or buy housing generally available on the open market.

    Affordable homes

    Two tenures of affordable homes are typically provided on exception housing schemes:

    • Affordable rent properties are let at rents discounted at 80% of market and generally capped at the Local Housing Allowance.
    • Shared ownership allows a household to buy an equity share of their home and pay rent on the portion retained by the housing association. Broadland Housing Association will retain the freehold. Shared owners are able to purchase equity shares up to an 80% cap of property value.

    A small number of market sale homes may also be required to generate cross-subsidy and make the affordable homes more financially viable.\

    Planning application was submitted in Summer 2023.

    Please find the link here to the planning portal:

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