Broadland Housing Group

Homes, community & support since 1963

housing

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

7 new homes handed over to tackle homelessness in Norwich

7 new homes handed over to tackle homelessness in Norwich

Broadland Housing and Norwich City Council have built 7 new homes for people formerly sleeping rough on the streets.

The 7 x 1-bedroom homes on Ketts Hill in Norwich were built with funding from the Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme. This will also pay for support workers to help the residents settle into their new homes and rebuild their lives.

At the handover ceremony, Councillor Gail Harris, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for social housing, joined Michael Newey, Chief Executive, and representatives from our design and construction partners.

Joint initiative

Broadland has built the homes on land provided by Norwich City Council, which provided capital alongside grant funding from Homes England.

The new homes were built with a timber-frame design for speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon.  Each property has its own small front garden. 

Councillor Harris said:

The City Council is committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness, and through our successful collaborative work with partners like Broadland Housing Association, we are finding new and innovative ways to offer targeted support to those who need it.

I’m thrilled to see these new homes handed over, which will provide the accommodation and support needed to help former rough sleepers live independent, happy lives. It is fantastic that each home has its own outdoor space, and I can’t wait to hear how the new residents settle in.

Gail Harris, cabinet member for social housing, Norwich City Council

Michael Newey added:

This site will provide high-quality, affordable housing for those in desperate need of accommodation and support – another development which will transform lives.

This project builds on the continual partnership working between the City Council and Broadland Housing Association in tackling some of the most difficult sites and developments to bring much-needed affordable accommodation to the city.

These homes will once again be built to the high-quality standards we have for all our homes.  These new homes, in the heart of Norwich on a disused piece of land, will ensure that more people leave the streets and can have a home to call their own.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

Vital community scheme

Norwich-based property and construction consultancy Ingleton Wood provided architectural and utility design services for the new homes. The builders were H Smith & Sons of Honingham, and the timber frame was manufactured in Norfolk by Timber Frame Management.

Chris Stammers, Director and Architect at Ingleton Wood, said:

Ketts Hill provides immediate support for those in desperate housing need across Norwich and we are proud to have supported this vital community scheme.

Featuring a contemporary take on a traditional terrace, Ketts Hill provides high-quality living accommodation and essential facilities within an attractive setting. The project has been an exemplar of positive multi-agency collaboration.

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


Housing conference focuses on the importance of listening to tenants

Housing conference focuses on the importance of listening to tenants

The first Independent East conference was held near Norwich in November 2022. More than 100 tenants, board members and staff attended from five housing associations based in Norfolk and Suffolk. The conference focused on what lies in store for social housing in 2023 and the important role of tenants.

Independent East Conference November 2022, delegates discussing in group around a table
Independent East Conference November 2022,3 delegates chatting at table
Independent East Conference November 2022, speaker Kate Dodsworth from Regulator of Social Housing
Independent East Conference, November 2022

There were keynote speeches from housing experts Hilary Burkitt, Director of Housing at IFF Research; Kathryn Eyre, Quality, Engagement & Development Director of the Housing Ombudsman; and Kate Dodsworth, Director of Consumer Regulation for the Regulator of Social Housing. The programme also included table discussions and opportunities for questions.

Creative collaboration

In their discussions, the participants focused on creative collaboration as a key solution to the challenges faced by housing associations. They discussed how these challenges might be alleviated by really listening to tenants and putting them at the heart of decisions in the difficult year(s) ahead.

I found the keynote speeches informative, positive and thought-provoking. The whole conference was uplifting and well attended by tenants. It shows a growing interest in how attitudes to social housing and engaging with our landlords are changing.

Jane, a Broadland tenant who participated

It’s important for the sector to come together and think deeply about the challenges they are facing at the moment in such unprecedented times. The takeaway from today is a real sense that everyone is up for the challenge that we’re facing. Despite the great difficulties for housing associations, for tenants, everyone is up for thinking about how they are going to address these challenges and to make sure we are doing our very best for all of our tenants.

Hilary Burkitt, Director of Housing IFF Research

The event was organised by Independent East, an informal alliance of five community‐focused housing associations in the East of England – Broadland Housing, Freebridge Community Housing, Havebury Housing Partnership, Saffron Housing Trust, and Orwell Housing Association.

Independent East will continue to work collaboratively together and with tenants to address common issues, sharing ideas and best practice to continually improve services and better the lives of their customers.

CEOs of Independent East housing associations, November 2022
The CEOs of the five Independent East housing associations: from left to right: James Francis (Saffron); Michael Newey (Broadland); Anita Jones (Freebridge); Andrew Smith (Havebury); Wendy Evans-Hendrick (Orwell)
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