homesforlife.co.uk
Housing Services
Homes for Life

Housing Services

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Tenant Services
Homes for Life

Tenant Services

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Welcome to homesforlife.co.uk

********PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING OUR WEBSITE SO SOME INFORMATION MAY NOT BE AS UP TO DATE AS IT SHOULD********


Our office remains closed to the public since 18th March 2020 until further notice due to the ongoing Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak.

Welcome to Homes for Life Housing Partnership website. Please take time to read our Terms & Conditions of use and our Privacy Notice. By using our website you agree to these terms and conditions.

marketstThrough this website we will provide a wide range of information for our current and prospective tenants.

We hope that most of the information you require will be on this site, however please contact us if you require further information.

Contact us
email: info@homesforlife.co.uk

telephone : 01620 829300

All our documents on this website are in pdf format which require the free Adobe Reader to view: Adobe Reader

News

Holiday Weekend

***Please note we will be closed from 4pm on Friday 17th September 2021 re-opening at 9am on Tuesday 21st September. Usual emergency contact details in operation. ***

Annual General Meeting

We held our 23rd AGM on 15 September 2021. We held it via Zoom and had 22 Members present and/or via proxy. Members heard a review of the year from our Chair Jamila Greig, approved our financial statements appointed Azets as our auditors and elected Board Members.

Mutual Exchange Applications - Update

29/04/2021

From 10th May 2021 we will again be accepting applications for mutual exchange requests.

We may need to visit your home as part of the application process, if we do we will ensure this is done so adhering to the necessary COVID-19 safety measures.

More information on how to apply for a mutual exchange can be found here.

New choice based lettings portal - Home Search

08/03/2021

We are excited to announce we will be moving with Castle Rock Edinvar to their new Home Search Portal for homes in East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. They have designed their new portal to make applying for homes easier. Home Search will replace the Homehunt portal we currently use to advertise and relet our properties.

If you were registered for rehousing through Homehunt and had selected Castle Rock Ednivar and Homes for Life Housing Partnership as your lead landlord you will have been contacted and asked to re register on the new rehousing portal Home Search. If you have not yet registered you can do so quickly and easily by clicking here.

More information on how to apply for a Homes for Life property can be found here.

Board Recruitment

25/02/2021

We are a Registered Social Landlord and a Registered Charity, meeting housing needs throughout East Lothian. Established in 1998, we provide affordable homes to just over 300 properties, from a base in Haddington, with a small team of 8 staff.

We have three vacancies on our Board for co-option and we are seeking particular experience in governance, human resources, legal and/or asset management. This is a voluntary unpaid position and would aim for a minimum of three years, while also requiring an annual review as a co-optee.

All Board directors will be offered induction and training. All Board meetings are currently conducted via video conferencing and the Board meets monthly. We operate a main Board as well as Committees for Audit & Risk and Staff/Health & Safety. Co-optees are re-elected annually following our AGM.

If interested please contact Wendy McCracken, Interim Manager via the undernoted email for further information or an informal discussion. Closing date 15th March 2021 for initial responses. More information including an application form is available here or by calling 01620 829300 or emailing info@homesforlife.co.uk.

Annual Rent Increase 2021/22

25/02/2021

In January 2021 we consulted with all tenants on a proposed increase of 1.0% from 1st April 2021. The proposed rent increase has been supported by 72% of tenants responding to our rent consultation.

On 17th February 2021, a report was presented to the Board with a recommendation that Homes for Life Housing Partnership implement a 1% rent increase to all stock. The Board approved that recommendation and a rent increase of1.0% will apply from 1st April 2021.

All tenants should soon received their rent increase notification letter.

More information on tenant feedback to the consultation and the Board's consideration can be found here.

Annual Rent Increase Consultation 2021/22 - Have your say!

12/01/2021

Homes for Life is now consulting on a proposed rent increase from 1st April 2021 of 1.0%. In order to continue to deliver existing services and invest in our stock the Company must increase its rental income each year. More information and our survey is available here on our consultation page.

Annual Performance Report & Annual Assurance Statement 2020

18/12/2020

Our Annual Performance Report for 2020 is now available along with our Annual Assurance Statement which was submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator at the end of November.

Our Landlord Performance Report from the Scottish Housing Regulator and a Local Landlord Performance Comparison are also available for you.

Tenant Satisfaction Survey & Household Review 2020

30/11/2020

Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2020

We are undertaking a satisfaction survey to find out your views on the service we provide. Your feedback is valued, and essential for review and improvement of our services. This is your chance to let us know what's important to you.

It is also important that we received as many responses as possible, as we are required to report tenants satisfaction results to the Social Housing Charter.

The survey has been posted to all tenants, if you have not received your survey please call us on 01620 829300.

Household Review 2020

Even if you don't think anything has changed in your household it is vital the information we hold on you is up to date for legal purposes, particularly in relation to your current household composition and contact phone numbers.

Please complete and return the Household Review form posted to all tenants to protect your tenancy rights. If we haven't been notified of changes to your household it will not be possible for your tenancy to be transferred, assigned or inherited.

Gift Voucher Prize Draw x 2

The survey and household review form will each take only a few minutes of your time but to make it worth your while we are offering a separate Gift Voucher Prize Draw for both the return of the satisfaction survey and household review form**.
Prize draw Sat Surv 2020

To be in with a chance of winning please make sure you return the prize draw slip enclosed with the Satisfaction Survey and/or Household Review form with your mobile number, email and postal address to receive your prize. Your prize draw slip will be processed separately to ensure your survey responses remain anonymous.

You will be entered into both prize draws if both surveys are returned but only one voucher per household can be won.

(* Directors and their close relatives are not eligible for the Prize Draw. )

Mutual exchanges applications on hold

01/10/2020


Unfortunately, the ongoing Covid-19 situation means we are not accepting applications for mutual exchanges at the moment.



Although we are again allowed to relet our empty properties the mutual exchange process is very different. The most important difference is that when we re-let properties, they are already empty, unlike in a mutual exchange where both homes are currently occupied.

We appreciate this may be frustrating, however, our top priority remains the safety and well being of our customers and our staff.

In the current Covid-19 crisis, the usual property viewings and inspections that must be carried out as part of the mutual exchange process, pose too much of a risk to staff and customers" health and safety. For everyone's protection,we feel it is not appropriate to resume mutual exchanges and simply cannot take any unnecessary risks at this time due to the changing Covid-19 situation.

We will regularly review our position on Mutual Exchanges in line with Scottish Government C19 restrictions.

Please continue to check our website for further changes to our position on Mutual Exchanges.

Annual General Meeting 2020

09/09/2020
Homes for Life will hold its 22nd and first virtual AGM on Wednesday 16th September 2020 via ZOOM.

We had a great turnout from tenants and other agencies for last years AGM but unfortunately, Covid restrictions prevent this being a physical meeting this year. Instead under special legal provisions for Covid, it will be held by remote attendance as a ZOOM video event.

To achieve a quorum, we will need at least 15 members to attend or be represented. If you would like to attend you can do so by video link from a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or PC or if you cant attend we encourage you to be represented by proxy.

If you would like to attend the AGM by ZOOM video link, please complete the our very short Invite Details Form HERE and we'll email you a zoom invite. Or to be represented at the AGM by proxy, please complete the below Proxy Form HERE and your representation can still count towards quorum. Please submit your form no later than 7pm on Monday 14th September 2020.

Full papers will be issued before the meeting to anyone who confirms they wish to attend or be represented at the meeting. Papers will also be available to download from here at the time or when requested from the office.

Regrettably, due to Covid restrictions there will be no Community Pride Awards or Guest presentations and invitations are being restricted to members only at this time. We will arrange a tenant and members meeting when Covid restrictions are eased and it is safe to do so, at which time our Annual Performance Report on the Charter will be available . These will ensure full openness and accountability despite the current challenges.


Rate Your Estate 2020 Survey

Feedback

We want your feedback. This is an opportunity for you to Rate Your Estate and let us know your suggestions for improvement in your area.

You can complete the survey online by clicking HERE or you can call us on 01620 829300 to complete the survey over the phone.

Change of Repairs Contractor


Service Update - Change of Repairs and Maintenance Contractor from 4th May 2020.


Please report new general emergency repairs directly to T B MacKay on 0131 552 6103 from Monday 4th May 2020. T B MacKay staff will offer you an appointment for emergency repairs only. Until this date please continue to contact Novus.


Further information on this change to service provision will follow in the coming newsletter or should you prefer please call us.


Coronavirus/COVID-19

Office Closure

Our office will be closed to members of the public from 18th March 2020 until further notice due to the ongoing Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak.

We aim to continue to provide as many of our normal services as possible. However, non-essential home visits will stop.

All contact will now be by phone and email in an effort to minimise the spread of the virus. Our team are available by phone on 01620 829300 or email at info@homesforlife.co.uk during business hours to take rent payments and to deal with any queries or issues you have.

We ask that you restrict repair requests to essential items only. Contractors may in any case need to restrict their attendance to only statutory emergencies.

If you contact us or our contractor please let us know if you or any member of your household is self-isolating or if you have been in close contact with someone who is self-isolating or has suspected or confirmed coronavirus so that contractors or staff are not sent to your home until after the isolation period has ended.

Homes for Life thank you for your cooperation. We will continue to keep the situation under review and will keep you updated.

Information

Please find below a link to the NHS Inform Scotland site which provides up to date information - this link will give you an overview and advice, the link has a guide to enable you to find out what to do next if you have developed any of these symptoms and are worried about coronavirus. Homes for Life request that if you do display any of the symptoms or if you answer YES to any of the below questions that you please advise the office as soon as possible.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus

  • Does anyone within the property have a confirmed case of coronavirus?
  • Has anyone within the property travelled to any of the category 1 areas in the last 14 days, even if you do not have symptoms? For details of countries included in the category area please see https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus
  • Has anyone within the property travelled to any of the category 2 areas in the last 14 days and have a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath (even if it is mild)? For details of countries included in the category area please see https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus
  • Have you been in close contact with someone who has confirmed Coronavirus?
  • Have you been asked to self-isolate?

If you have answered YES to any of the above, then it is recommended that you follow the NHS advice or call NHS 111.

Homes for Life will display the following posters in the office - Building Entrance and General Public Information

Free Coronavirus Messaging Service launched by Government

The Government has launched a new WhatsApp information service on 25th March 20 to inform the public on the most recent coronavirus developments.

Launched by the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England, the free service aims to dispel the spreading of 'fake news" and give information and advice on the best way to tackle the virus as a population.

It is hoped that this new service will reduce NHS stress by restricting the spread, through clear information and ensuring people stay home and protect the NHS.

Part of the service will be an GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service 'chatbot', giving immediate answers to the public on their most common questions directly from government.

Clarity around symptoms and prevention will be given as well as up to date information on UK cases, travel advice and staying at home.

Prof Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director, Public Health England, said:

"This service will help us ensure the public has a trusted source for the right information about coronavirus, updated with the latest public health guidance and providing assurance that they are not misled by any of the false information circulating."

To use the service, people are being encouraged to add 07860064422 and message the word 'hi" within WhatsApp.

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