Playing a part in reducing homelessness is woven into Bromford’s culture, strategy and operations, writes Hazel O’Halloran, the housing association’s Head of Homelessness and Community Investment.
World Homelessness Day, held on 10th October each year, is as a global call to action, bringing attention to the pressing issue of homelessness and inspiring efforts to find lasting solutions. For organisations like Bromford, this day highlights the importance of initiatives such as the Homes for Cathy commitments. These commitments reflect Bromford’s dedication to reducing homelessness by working collaboratively with local authorities and tailoring services to the needs of those who require a safe affordable home.
I’m really proud of the work Bromford do in this space as we have embedded a culture where we have woven into the our organisation’s strategy and operations how we play our part in social justice to reduce homelessness. We remained focussed that it’s our social purpose and acknowledge that housing providers such as us are critical to the solution.
The first Homes for Cathy commitment, “To contribute to the development and execution of local authority homelessness strategies” emphasises the importance of working closely with local authorities to align housing services with regional efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness.
Multi-agency cooperation
Our partnership approach is centric to what we do, particularly when tackling the complexities of homelessness as this requires multi-agency cooperation. By collaborating with our local authorities, Bromford is better equipped to provide housing solutions that meet the diverse needs of people in different areas. That’s why we have a focussed geographical area in which we work, and although this covers 39 local authority areas, in our ‘big four’ – Lichfield, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds, South Gloucestershire – we are the main provider of social housing. We meet regularly with our ‘big four’ local authorities to better understand the demands and pressures they experience, so that we can consider how we can adapt the services we deliver.
The second Homes for Cathy commitment – “To work with stakeholders and people with lived experience of homelessness to provide a range of affordable housing and services which meet the needs of homeless people in their local communities” – aligns with Bromford’s overall strategy of strengthening communities by delivering housing that enables people thrive. It’s part of our long-term mission to work closely with stakeholders that goes beyond simply providing homes.
Each customer has an individual relationship
Bromford’s approach to housing is customer-centred and we have adopted a more proactive rather than reactive approach which has developed by building external relationships with local authorities and partners as well as knowing our customers and communities. Bromford operates with a flexible, compassionate approach which allows us to address the unique needs of individuals. Our Neighbourhood Coaching model compliments us being able to house those in the greatest need as each customer will have an individual relationship. We care about the people who live in our homes and want each of them to be able to achieve their goals in life. We know this will be different for each customer but we want to do all we can to help them thrive.
An example of this would be our highly success Housing First projects, which were fostered by listening to the local authority and the needs of the local community. Housing First provides permanent housing solutions to a specific group of people who have a history of repeat homelessness, very complex needs, and often experience multiple disadvantage, and other housing options have not been successful in resolving their homelessness. Our Housing First has been operating in the Cotswolds for a couple of years and has recently been rolled out in Tewkesbury. Despite the lack of funding from the government, for vital projects like Housing First, it has been through collaboration and determination that we have worked with the local authorities and local support provider to find solutions to provide this much needed the service.
As World Homelessness Day shines a light on the global issue of homelessness, it also offers a moment to reflect on the work being done locally. Bromford’s strategy places long-term, sustainable housing solutions at its core and we ensure that housing is a foundation for future stability and thriving communities. We will take a place-based approach to tailoring how we work to the needs and aspirations of the individual communities in which we work. And we will use our size, our influence and our resources to maximise the social and economic impact we have in these places. Through our partnerships with local authorities and our flexible approach to housing, Bromford is contributing to a society where everyone should a place to call home – a message that resonates powerfully on World Homelessness Day.
