Hit the ground running this new financial year

When the Spring Budget is out and all eyes are fixed on the new changes about to come into play, it can only mean one thing: the end of the financial year! And what an eventful and pivotal year it has been for social housing, with The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 reshaping the landscape for landlords and tenants alike. In particular:

Awaab’s Law

While the date of its enactment into law hasn’t yet been confirmed, Awaab’s Law will soon take effect. When it does, landlords must investigate issues – such as damp and mould – within two weeks and begin repairs in a further seven days, with new rules around the logging of health conditions. Meanwhile, any emergency work must be carried out within 24 hours, requiring quicker response times across the board.?

New consumer standards

From April 2024 onwards, new standards will mean new powers of investigation and enforcement are given to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). In summary, landlords will now be required to:

• Provide safe and good quality homes and services to tenants (The Safety and Quality Standard)
• Be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect (The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard)
• Engage with other relevant parties so that tenants can feel safe (The Neighbourhood and Community Standard)
• Fairly allocate and let homes, with requirements for how those tenancies are managed and ended by landlords (The Tenancy Standard)

Efficient operations and better tenant engagement will be essential to help navigate and adhere to the changes as we close in on the new financial year. From helping you gain first-time access to driving positive connections with your tenants, Voicescape’s suite of automation-driven solutions can help you move with the times, streamline your processes, and respond to tenants and households that need your help the most. Get in touch with our Sales Director Peter Hudson on 07375 428205 or head to our website to learn more about how we can help.

Social housing sector news

Investing billions in social housing would “save the taxpayer money”

According to research by England’s National Housing Federation (NHF) and Shelter, the upfront cost of ￡11.8bn to build 90,000 new social homes would be paid back within 11 years through savings on public services and extra tax revenue. The study claimed this would save the taxpayer money over the long term by cutting benefits payments and health costs. Kate Henderson, NHF Chief Executive, describes this as a “win-win solution”.

Housing association rent arrears rise 8.4% to record high of nearly ￡800m

The RSH recorded an 8.4% rise in rent arrears, signifying a huge spike last year and the highest single-year jump since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure equated to around 5.3% of housing association tenants not able to pay rent , sparking calls for reforms by industry bodies and housing campaigners. While economic conditions play a part here, better support, trust and engagement between landlords and tenants can help reduce unmanageable escalations for your tenants and improve collection rates.?

Local authority insights

Government announces limited exemptions for new empty homes powers

In relation to the new powers around empty homes, ministers have confirmed that councils will face only a limited number of exemptions when imposing higher taxes on these properties. The announcement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities comes as part of a planned crackdown on long-term empty homes and is being positioned as a positive for local authorities.

Your Voicescape update?

Here’s to women in social housing!

International Women’s Day 2024 was a definite March highlight for the team. As well as celebrating the wonderful women who help drive Voicescape forward day in day out, it gave us great pleasure to sponsor the Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East lunch event. Our own Nicola Brown and Peter Hudson were in attendance in Durham, as they engaged with and celebrated amazing women from across the sector.?

Webinar – The World of Payment Links: Streamlining Arrears Collection and Enhancing Resident Engagement

On 19th March we went live to the sector to discuss how you can supercharge investment in payment link technologies to boost collections. Also joined by guests from whg and SNG (formerly Network Homes), we explored how they are combining best-in-class technologies successfully. Watch our exclusive partner webinar back here to see how Voicescape users are increasing collection rates, freeing up officer time, and improving the customer experience.

Events – Housing Technology Conference and CIH Scotland's Housing Festival

Who says you can’t be in two places at once ? From 5th-7th March we attended ‘the #1 Technology Conference in Housing’, taking a team to Nottingham to not only exhibit from our stand but also host an insightful talk about how whg and Thirteen Group have brought combined technologies and innovative best practices to the sector.

Meanwhile, we sent a second team to Glasgow who showcased Voicescape’s ability to help organisations connect with their communities better.?

We helped a tenant at Jigsaw Homes increase their monthly income

Using Voicescape Collections , we’ve been helping Jigsaw Homes Group automate the numerous tasks required to reach customers in arrears for more than 10 years. This has resulted in annual savings of over ￡100,000 in internal resource costs and a 66% increase in payment arrangements. But, more importantly, it’s given their income officers more time to provide one-on-one support to tenants who need it most. Read our latest case study to learn about how they helped one resident who recently responded to a Voicescape Collections automated call.

Get ahead this new financial year with Voicescape

The legislative changes faced by the sector are easily turned from challenges into opportunities when you harness the potential of automated solutions. This is where the Voicescape product suite comes in, with proven technologies that can help you streamline processes, better manage resources, and more effectively connect with your communities to the benefit of your tenants and your organisation. Book a demo to find out more .