Inside this IssuePage 1 - New Development at Southside Farm, Corston Page 2 - Staffing News & Filming

Page 3 - Rent Arrears Update & Scrutiny Panel Page 4 - Development Programme update Page 5 - Community Land Trusts Partnerships (CLT’s)Page 6 - New Shared Ownership Homes Completed Page 7 - Neighbourhood Scheme Visits 2019

Page 8 - Notice Board

NewsletterIssue 10 - October 2019

A warm welcome to all of our new residents at Southside Farm, Corston.The four shared ownership homes, were completed in September 2019 and our new residents moved into their lovely new homes. This small development was built on a disused farmyard adjacent to the A429 at Corston, near Malmesbury. (Page 6 for details).

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 2

Congratulations to Sarah Occleshaw, our Housing Apprentice who has successfully completed her Level 2 - Certificate in Housing and Property Management with a Distinction. Sarah will now go on to study for the Level 3 Certificate with Swindon College, and it is expected to take upto 15 months to complete. We all wish her every success for the future.

Filming

Staffing News

Picture left to right: Steve Rafferty, Cornwall College Tutor - Sarah Occleshaw, Housing Apprentice - Martin Gatter, CIH End Point Assessor - Belinda Eastland, Operations Manager.

The Association has recently been working with the same company who produced the BBC’s Housing Enforcers programme with Matt Allwright last year.

The new programme, entitled Britain’s Housing Scandal, is due to be screened in 2020. The programme aims to show housing professionals supporting and assisting applicants and tenants to obtain housing and sustain their tenancies.

Given our previous involvement, staff have been out and about filming with the crew helping tenants with a range of issues. We will also be showing how we allocate and let our new homes to people in housing need. Our contractors, 3 Solutions, also got in on the act as we helped one tenant to move home to make way for major repairs.

We will keep everyone informed of when the programme will be screened.

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 3

Rent Arrears UpdateThank you as always to those who pay their rent regularly and on time. We have seen an increase in Universal Credit claimants, with over 70 claims now being made. We have previously offered advice and support to anyone on Universal Credit. This is still something we can do, the best help we can give you would be on an individual basis. Please call to discuss and we can assess your circumstances on a case by case basis.

Arrears at the end of Quarter 2 were as follows; Tenant arrears 1.1%, Housing Benefit arrears 0.09%. Combined arrears at a total of 1.19%. We strive to ensure that everyone pays correctly and on time so that we can continue to offer the high levels of service and maintain our properties to a high standard. We proactively work with tenants, who may struggle to pay their rent and can signpost you to other agencies if required.

Where tenants fail to respond and rent arrears escalate, we have no option but to begin legal proceedings.

In this financial year (since April 2019 onwards) we have served 7 new Notices of Intention to Seek Possession on tenants who have breached their conditions of tenancy, predominantly because of rent arrears. 3 Court applications were made in the same period resulting in either the tenants clearing the rent arrears or arrangements being set. Thankfully, we have had no evictions in this financial year. With that said, we would like to remind tenants that it’s always better to contact us and have a discussion before a problem escalates.

A final reminder to anyone who pays the rent themselves directly to us to consider setting up a Direct Debit if you have not already done so. Anyone paying by direct debit will be entered into a prize draw for £100 shopping vouchers. Direct Debits are easier for us to track and help maintain a regular and predicable rental payment, hence our preference for this method. The draw will be taking place on 1st December 2019 so ensure your direct debit is setup before then if you would like to be entered.

Scrutiny PanelOn the 1st October 2019 we held a very successful resident scrutiny panel meeting. The first of many which will give residents the opportunity to influence our service provision, policies and procedures. White Horse Housing’s Board member, Kate Knight, also attended giving residents a stronger link to the Association’s Board.

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 4

Development Programme Update

The Association continues to focus on the development of new, high quality, homes in rural communities as our main priority. We have an ambitious development target of providing 70 new homes by 2023 – representing a 17% increase in our total number of homes.

The Association has a development budget of £7.3million, funded by a new loan facility of £3.0million, an existing loan facility of £400,000, capital receipts from the sale of old, unviable homes of £2.0million and income from shared ownership sales of 1.9million. The Association will also seek to supplement this income with grant applications to Homes England to help subsidise our own developments and those developed in partnership with Community Land Trusts. To date, the Association has a total of 53 new homes across 8 different village locations that have either just completed, are now ‘on-site’ and being built or are expected to start ‘on site’ before the end of the year. All the properties will be allocated through the local authority Housing Register, with priority going to those in housing need who have a strong local connection to the village in which they are located.

Current Development Programme:

Development No. of Homes Start/On-site/Completion dates

Southside Farm, Corston 4 homes Completed - 5 September 2019

Arms Farm, Sutton Benger 6 homes On-Site

Cuckoo Hill, Bruton 12 homes On-Site

Wheatley Farm, Ashton Keynes 8 homes On-Site

Manor Farm, Winterbourne Monkton 3 homes Start - Autumn 2019

Stag Hill, Chilton Foliat 6 homes Start - Autumn 2019

Chapmanslade 12 homes Start - Autumn 2019

Urchfont 2 homes Start - Autumn 2019

Total 53 homes

There are also a number of potential developments that the Association is currently working on. These are set out below:

Seend Cleeve 10 homes CLT SchemeBroad Chalke 6 homes CLT SchemeSixpenny Handley 11 homes CLT SchemeKilmersdon 2 homes Own DevelopmentTotal 28 new homes

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 5

Community Land Trust Partnerships (CLT’s)

Broad Chalke CLT have agreed an innovative deal with a local landowner to secure a suitable site and are currently awaiting the completion of their local Neighbourhood Plan. If approved by residents in a referendum to be held in 2020 the scheme will move ahead and a full planning application submitted. It is expected that 6 homes will be built in the first phase (including 2 homes for shared ownership), with potential for two more phases of 6 homes each in future years, as and when the need arises.

Seend CLT have identified a suitable site within the Parish and the Association have signed an agreement with the land owner to purchase the site, subject to planning approval. The land will be transferred into the ownership of the CLT and then ‘leased back’ to the Association to allow the development of the new homes. This arrangement will ensure the homes remain affordable to local people ‘in perpetuity’. The site allows for 10 new homes to be built, including 3 shared ownership homes. It is hoped that a formal planning application will be submitted to Wiltshire Council by the end of the year.

Sixpenny Handley CLT are at an advanced stage, having spent a number years consulting their local community to find a scheme that meets the whole village’s needs. The scheme will provide 11 new homes (including 2 for shared ownership) but also new car parking for local residents. Whilst there are some cost and funding issues to resolve, the Association is working hard with the CLT’s Architect to find practical solutions to the problems and reduce overall costs. It is hoped that the formal planning application will be submitted by the end of the year.

The Association has been selected as the development partner by three separate Community Land Trusts (CLT’s) - Broad Chalke and Seend CLT’s in Wiltshire and Sixpenny Handley CLT in East Dorset.The Association is working closely with all three CLT’s assisting them with the design and layout of the their schemes, providing detailed costings, scheme appraisals and looking at how each development can be financed. All the CLT’s have secured grants to help them pay for the appointment of Architects and other essential consultants required to move their schemes forward.

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 6

New Shared Ownership Homes Completed

In early September four new 2 bedroom homes were completed at Corston near Malmesbury. The four shared ownership houses have been built to a very high standard by the developer, Hills Homes, and attracted a large number of applicants wishing to purchase a new home in this popular village location.

All four homes have now been sold and the owners have moved in. We wish them every happiness in their new home.

If you, or anyone you know is interested in purchasing a new shared ownership home then please do get in touch with us.

Over the next year we have shared ownership homes becoming available in Ashton Keynes, Sutton Benger, Chilton Foliat, Winterbourne Monkton, Chapmanslade and Urchfont. All will be allocated to people with a local connection to that area and who met our affordability criteria. For more information you can download our ‘Guide to Shared Ownership’ from our website - www.whitehorsehousing.co.uk

White Horse Housing - Newsletter Issue 10 - October 2019 Page 7

6 Monthly Date of Scheme Visit Date of Scheme Visit

Burbage - Collingbourne Ducis - Milton Lilbourne - Rushall - North Newnton

09/05/2019 07/11/2019

Redlynch - Whiteparish - Winterslow 05/06/2019 14/11/2019

Bishopstone - Hannington - South Marston - Wanborough- Wroughton

25/04/2019 03/10/2019

Tilshead - Great Cheverall - Urchfont - Codford - Edington 17/01/2019 11/07/2019

Coleford - Peasedown St John - Writhlington 21/03/2019 31/10/2019Ammerdown Terrace - Ames Lane - Church Street - Coles Gardens - Faulkland - Hoares Lane - Kilmersdon - Silver Street - The Stables

19/06/2019 03/12/2019

Annually Date of Scheme Visit

Hilperton - Seend - Semington - Staverton - Southwick 05/2020

Ogbourne St George - Mildenhall 05/2020

Luckington - Burton - Castle Combe - Kington Langley - Colerne

06/2020

Upper Minety - Leigh - Hullavington - Moors Cottage 08/2020

Heddington - Rowde - Bromham - The Comptons 09/2020

North Bradley - Hindon - Dilton Marsh - Kilmington - Corsley

09/2020

Neighbourhood Scheme Visits 2019

Contact UsWhite Horse Housing Association Ltd

Tel: 01380 850916Email: info@whitehorsehousing.co.uk

www.whitehorsehousing.co.uk

Find us on Facebook & Twitter

facebook.com/WhiteHorseHousing/

@InfoWHHA

All WHHA publications are uploaded to our website and can be viewed at any time.

Do you know your Tenancy Number!You will need your Tenancy number, if you start paying your rent through the bank or if you call the office and speak to a member of staff.

If you cannot find your reference number, please call the office, and we will send it out to you.

My Tenancy

Do check out the My Tenancy link from our website www.whitehorsehousing.co.uk

From My Tenancy you are able to pay your rent, check your rent account statement, report a repair or update your personal details.

It is tablet and phone friendly too - so give it a try!

Sign up to Direct Debit today!!

We are keen to get everyone onto a Direct Debit. For every tenant that pays their rent shortfall or building credit with a Direct Debit will be entered into a draw for a £100 shopping voucher twice a year.

The next draw will be on 1st December 2019 and the following 1st June 2020.