How to contact us Website Local housing offices onehousinggroup.co.uk One Housing Group (Head office) 100 Chalk Farm Road London NW1 8EH General enquiries and complaints 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300 Maidenhead office Ground Floor 25вЂ“27 Broadway Maidenhead SL6 1LY [email protected] Suttons Wharf South 44 Palmers Road London E2 0TA Repairs Millwall office 12 The Quarterdeck London E14 8SJ Complaints by email 0300 123 9966 [email protected] Berkshire residents 0800 587 9941 [email protected] Spring 2014 Castalia Square office 17 Castalia Square London E14 3PQ Translation This document is also available in other languages, large print and audio format upon request. For more information, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300 Wax kale oo la heli kara dhokumentigan oo ku qoran luqado kale, ama ku daabacan farta waawayn, farta loogu talagalay dadka aragga ka laxaadka laвЂ™ ama iyadoo maqal ah iyadoo la soo wacayo 0300 123 9966. Home is where the art is Welfare reform update Tackling anti-social behaviour Local offers Contents 2 Showcase your creativity 9 Local offers 3 Welfare reform update 10 A day in the life of estate services 5 Helping you with jobs and skills 11 Tackling anti-social behaviour 6 Stronger communities through volunteering 13 Housing associations join forces to create positive local results 7 Get involved 13 Tenancy fraud 9 Improving repairs with the DIY approach 14 Helping you find the right home Social Are you on Facebook or Twitter? If so, follow us to find out about our latest news, events and advice. вЂ�LikeвЂ™ us on Facebook facebook.com/onehousinggroup Follow us on Twitter @Official_OHG Showcase your creativity At One Housing Group we want to know what makes your home a home so weвЂ™re inviting you to send in photos showing what makes your вЂ�spaceвЂ™ unique and wonderful. From interesting art, collectible items and beautiful furniture to transformed outside spaces, veggie patches and secret gardens. Share your photos and a few words expressing your inspiration to be in with a chance to win Love to Shop vouchers. Look out for our brand new app that will help you to report repairs, view your account and pay your rent. The app will be available to download early this summer. We know our customers take great pride in personalising their homes and outside space and we hope that this competition will encourage you to share your creativity and maybe inspire others with your artistic skills. All photos will be judged by a panel and those shortlisted will win up to ВЈ100 worth of vouchers. Think you could be in with a chance? Email your photos to [email protected] to be in with a chance to win. Closing date is Friday 30 May 2014. Welcome by Mick Sweeney, CEO Your views matter to us Hello and welcome to the spring newsletter. In this issue youвЂ™ll find out about how we are helping those of you affected by the GovernmentвЂ™s welfare reforms, the measures weвЂ™ve put in place and how weвЂ™re helping you to manage the impact of cutbacks. Your feedback and suggestions on our services are really important to us. We want to know what we do well and where we could improve. We use your views to help us continuously improve how we work. Earlier this year we announced plans for a new internal maintenance service to manage and carry out all our repairs in our properties in London. This was a big decision to make and one that we feel will serve you best. We know you and we know our properties and with the new service we aim to deliver a better repairs and maintenance service to you. To find out more please see page 3. 1 Our staff have been busy delivering various services, from tackling anti-social behaviour to helping people back into work and equipping them with the skills they need. We want to ensure that youвЂ™re happy in your home and in the community that you live in. We strive to deliver high quality services and we value your feedback so please do get in touch with your suggestions. If you would like to give us your feedback or if we havenвЂ™t delivered a service in line with our policies and procedures please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300 or visit our website, onehousinggroup.co.uk/complaints, for more information. I hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter. Spring 2014 Spring 2014 2 Welfare reform update The GovernmentвЂ™s welfare reforms are well underway and weвЂ™re as committed as ever to making sure you understand how the reforms will affect you and your family. Benefits changes that have already been introduced include the benefit cap (which limits the total benefits you can get), вЂ�bedroom taxвЂ™ (penalty for underoccupation) and changes in the way housing benefit and disability allowances are calculated. 3 About Universal Credit Universal Credit is a single, monthly payment that will be made directly to you. It will replace six separate benefits вЂ“ Income Support, income based Job Seekers Allowance, income based Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Working Tax Credit. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has piloted Universal Credit in two London Boroughs, with full roll-out planned by the end of 2017. We will tell you well in advance before changes happen in your area. If you are receiving one or two of the benefits included in Universal Credit, you will need to make your claim online. You will also need to: вЂў have a bank, Post Office card account or Credit Union account Our teams have worked hard to support those of you affected by the reforms, from helping people back into work through our Employment and Training team, assisting in downsizing to smaller properties, helping with Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) claims and carrying out full financial health checks. WeвЂ™ve also worked closely with local authorities to tackle welfare reform issues. Universal Credit is fast upon us and here you will find information on how it will work, the latest updates on the вЂ�bedroom taxвЂ™ and useful tools to help you manage your money. Spring 2014 Credit Union вЂ“ a banking facility for everyone Welfare benefit and money advice Everyone claiming Universal Credit will need some kind of banking facility вЂ“ if you donвЂ™t, you wonвЂ™t receive payments. This is because the DWP will be paying a monthly payment directly into your account rather than to your landlord. Our welfare benefits and money advisor, Afia Khatun, supports residents affected by welfare reform as well as those who need financial health checks. Afia can also help with: To help those of you who donвЂ™t have a bank account, weвЂ™ve joined up with the Credit Union to offer you a вЂ�jam jarвЂ™ current account and savings account through the Credit Union. To find out more about opening an account with the Credit Union, please contact the Customer Account Team on 020 8821 5184 or the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300. вЂў be actively seeking employment вЂў DHP claims вЂў benefit checks to find out what youвЂ™re entitled to вЂў claiming a range of benefits, including disability benefits вЂў completing application forms вЂў appealing against benefit decisions вЂў negotiating repayments with creditors вЂў setting up payment plans for utility arrears. To book an appointment with Afia please contact our Customer Accounts Team on 020 8821 5184 or email [email protected] вЂў use a computer to make an online application. If you have any concerns or questions about how welfare reforms may affect you can also contact your accounts officer or your housing officer if you live in the Berkshire area. вЂ�Bedroom taxвЂ™ вЂ“ the latest The DWP recently issued a letter saying that where residents have had a continuous claim for Housing Benefit since 1996, the вЂ�bedroom taxвЂ™ criteria rules should not have been applied. So affected residents will now Spring 2014 be able to apply to have their claim reassessed under the correct rules and will be able to receive money backdated to April 2013, regardless of how many bedrooms are in the home. You could benefit from this so for more information, please contact our Customer Accounts Team on 020 8821 5184. 4 Helping you with jobs and skills Current opportunities WeвЂ™re offering a one day вЂ�Money managementвЂ™ training course for all residents, especially those who have been affected by welfare reform. This free course will allow you to take control of your finances and effectively plan for the future. It will cover banking, budgeting, prioritising your expenditure and much more. To register or to find out more, please contact Sonia Shah on 020 7428 4193 or at [email protected] Business in the Community WeвЂ™re working with businesses within the community to provide opportunities for residents who suffer from mental illness, homelessness, drug and alcohol dependencies who may face find it especially hard to get a job. To date, weвЂ™ve helped 16 residents through this programme with work placement opportunities in administration, retail, HR, construction and much more. Strongercommunities through volunteering We launched our new Volunteering and Partnerships team in November 2013 to support residents who want to get involved in volunteering or projects within their community. Case study: How we helped Cleo Cleo Donaldson was referred to our Employment and Training team after being out of work for a long time. After completing his pre-placement training with Business in the Community he secured a placement at Carillion, a reputable construction firm. вЂњInitially I was worried about working in an office environment for the first time but the Employment and Training team made me feel at ease. IвЂ™ve really enjoyed working at Carillion and look forward to transferring the skills IвЂ™ve learnt here on to the next job. Drop-in sessions Why not visit Arlington to find out how the Employment and Training service can help you with your job search? We know itвЂ™s not always easy to get involved in something new, which is why we want to help you achieve your full potential, develop new skills and share your talents with the wider community. Volunteering can help: вЂў strengthen your community вЂў get you out and about, meeting your neighbours Call in today at 200 Arlington Road, London NW1 7HE вЂў earn Spice time credits (which you can swap for leisure, learning or recreational services). вЂњThe service has motivated me to apply for training courses and jobs; IвЂ™ve now got my first job in a food production company and IвЂ™m studying a heat installation course on the weekends. I would highly recommend this service to anyone.вЂќ If you or someone you know could benefit from this service please contact Sonia Shah on 020 7428 4193 or at [email protected] Are you aged 16-24 and finding it hard to get an apprenticeship without experience? Our traineeship programme can give you a chance to develop the skills you need to get a job. 5 To date, 12 young residents from Newham have benefitted from a traineeship, six of whom have been supported into paid employment by the team. Since completing the work experience, Muhmoud Junji has been offered two jobs: вЂњIвЂ™m grateful for being given this opportunity and I feel I can walk away knowing IвЂ™m one step higher on the career ladder.вЂќ Sam Murfitt, a 22 year old resident from Camden, explains how volunteering and having a hands-on approach within the community helped him get one step closer to his dream career. вЂњMy journey with One Housing Group began five years ago when I met Ash Rahman, one of One Housing GroupвЂ™s youth development officers. Ash offered me the chance to do some voluntary work, which I couldnвЂ™t refuse. вЂњWhile studying sports coaching at college, I began volunteering with the Youth Services team which lasted for two years. I had a passion for what I was doing and wanted to make a career out of it. I decided to go to university which meant I had to stop volunteering during term time. вЂњA position became vacant at One Housing Group for an Assistant Youth Development Officer. I got the job and havenвЂ™t looked back. My role involves delivering a young peopleвЂ™s programme at the Hillview and Grays Inn youth clubs. вЂњVolunteering has given me the opportunity to build up my skills and confidence in both a working and social environment within the youth club. ItвЂ™s opened a lot of doors for me and is a key factor to my success today.вЂќ I stayed in contact with Ash and during the holidays I offered to help out in the youth centres and out on the pitch, coaching the Pro Touch Soccer Academy. Not ready for an apprenticeship? Try a traineeship A traineeship is an education and training programme with work experience that is focused on giving young people the skills and experience that employers are looking for. Sam If you have thought about volunteering or wish to get involved in our wider community initiatives, please contact the Volunteering and Partnerships Team on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300 or at [email protected] The team is now working with Jobwise Training to offer our residents placements in several departments at One Housing Group for up to three months. At the end of the programme weвЂ™ll help residents to secure an apprenticeship or employment. To find out more or register your interest in traineeships, contact Rusunara Begum Ali on 020 7428 4257 or at [email protected] Spring 2014 Spring 2014 6 Case study: Seymour Place Homework Club We received a complaint that a communal space was being used to run an unofficial after-school homework club for children by a resident at Seymour Place, Marylebone. After carrying out a health and safety inspection we decided that the area was indeed not suitable for this activity. However, as this was a good idea in the spirit of resident involvement, we found an alternative venue at Seymour Place leisure centre. Get involved Estate inspections вЂ“ can you help? As a resident you are best placed to know whatвЂ™s working well on your estate and where things can be improved, so we want volunteers to help us with our monthly estate inspections. Volunteers will meet up with their housing officer to check on communal repairs, cleaning, landscaping works and health and safety issues. You will also be able to give us your views on anything to do with maintaining and improving your estate. DonвЂ™t worry if you canвЂ™t make every monthly inspection, you can still contribute by attending once every three months. You will receive a shopping voucher as a thank you for your time and comments. To get involved and become a volunteer to help improve your estate, please contact your housing officer on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300 or if you live in Berkshire please call on 020 8821 5344. Resident involvement is important to us. After all, you are in the best position to tell us what weвЂ™re doing well and where we can improve. We want you to have as much influence and control as possible over the services you receive. This is about building better communities for you and your families. We need your help to do this and there are lots of ways to get involved and including: A steering group set up in response to issues on your estate. The group will work closely with the resident involvement officer and other staff to help resolve problems. On an individual basis. On some estates residents prefer to engage and feed back on a one-to-one basis on issues which would normally be discussed through an estate group or association. A Tenants and ResidentsвЂ™ Association (TRA) is a group of people living in the same estate who come together to put forward their views and take an active role in improving the community. It is also a representative voice when dealing with your landlord or other agencies. Each TRA will have a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. The TRA hosts regular public meetings and an annual general meeting to elect committee members. WeвЂ™ll also fund TRAs that meet the relevant criteria and provide training for committee members. We have an Area Board for each of our regions, and another for One Support. The boards meet four times a year and each has an elected Chair, up to four residents and two independent members. A Group Board member also attends every meeting. Special interest groups are for residents who feel that they have common ideas and can offer special views on our services, such as our Active at 70 and Diamond plus groups which aim to reach out and profile all our residents over the age of 70 and signpost them to helpful services. Estate champions help their housing officer with estate inspections, report and monitor communal repairs and voice residentsвЂ™ concerns. 7 Spring 2014 A Key Voice is a representative for a smaller estate or community. For those residents who are not interested in getting involved in a TRA but would still like to help organise social activities, meetings and improve community spirit. Meet the resident involvement team: Yetunde Ayanwale looks after the Berkshire and Camden. Please contact her on 020 8821 4532. To find out more please contact the Resident Involvement Team on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300. Spring 2014 Samya Salouane looks after the Isle of Dogs. Please contact her on 020 8821 5380. Aimee Mayers looks after the North, East and Central region. Please contact her on 020 8821 5133. 8 Improving repairs with the DIY approach A day in the life of estate services Earlier this year we announced plans for a new internal maintenance service company to manage and carry out repairs to all our properties in London. The service, вЂ�One DirectвЂ™ is being created to offer better value for money and to ensure that repairs and maintenance work is being carried out to a high standard. You may have seen our estate services staff out and about on your estates. They play a really important role, ensuring that the internal and external communal areas on your estates are clean and in good condition. The service will be launched this summer in a phased approach to bring all the repairs and maintenance services in-house over the following 12 months Our properties in Berkshire will continue to be maintained by Housing Solutions due to the geography of the properties in the area. The team has significantly grown over the past year and comprises of four sub-teams (concierge, caretakers, handymen and bulk collection). WeвЂ™ve also hired 22 staff, all of whom are residents living in and around East and North East London, and have secured work and training opportunities at One Housing Group. John Gregory, Group Director for Housing Services at One Housing Group said: вЂњWeвЂ™re very pleased to be launching our new service. We know and care for our customers and our properties more than anyone else and we have a clear incentive to deliver high quality, lasting repairs together with outstanding customer service. вЂњWe believe we can improve service quality, reduce bureaucracy and put more money into actual repairs without increasing the overall budget. The savings About local offers we make will be ploughed back into building more affordable homes and extending our employment, training and apprenticeship programmes for our residents and local people.вЂќ Our Area Boards will play a central role in managing and scrutinising the performance of the internal maintenance service. WeвЂ™ll be sharing more information with you about how the new service will work in the coming months. The savings we make will be ploughed back into building more affordable homes and extending our employment, training and apprenticeship programmes... These are agreements between you and us which aim to make your estates better places to live. Local offers tell you: вЂў what standards of services you can expect from us вЂў how and when we will clean your estate and perform maintenance вЂў your estateвЂ™s action plan вЂ“ what you asked us to do and how we are going to do it вЂў how we will monitor the local offer вЂў the easiest way to contact us to report any issues. Across the regions all the local offers launched in 2012 have now been completed or are still in progress where residents requested follow-up work. 9 No two days are the same in estate services, so the Communications team went out on the frontline to see firsthand the work we do to ensure your neighbourhoods are kept clean and are safer places to live. The regional teams identified estates that would benefit from new local offers and consulted during the summer and autumn of 2013 to get residentsвЂ™ views. Please visit our website to view local offers in your area. WeвЂ™re now looking for residents to get more involved in monitoring our performance against the local offers action plans. If youвЂ™re interested or want to know more about resident involvement, please contact the resident involvement team. First up we spoke to Ertan and Ken who are both caretakers. Between them they have over 38 years of caretaking experience. They manage four blocks: Kelson, Dagmar, Talia and Halyard. Their daily routine begins with a health and safety check and general ground maintenance to each block. They rotate the work so they each do a bit of both each day. What they like most about their role is the job satisfaction, вЂњWe love it when residents say thank you. It really makes us feel that our hard work has been appreciated.вЂќ Geitania is our only female caretaker within estate services. SheвЂ™s been with the team for almost a year and has enjoyed every second. A vital worker and one of our very own residents, she enjoys keeping her patches (Phoenix Heights and Tate and Lyle) in pristine condition. Geitania says: вЂњIвЂ™ve become the go-to person for my patches which I enjoy. Being the only female caretaker can be Curtis Francois, a caretaker on the St Johns estate said: вЂњIвЂ™ve been doing this work for over 20 years. I generally love being outdoors and interacting with the local residents. Doing the work I do makes me feel appreciated by the residents. Knowing that IвЂ™m appreciated makes my job a lot easier to do.вЂќ Rashid Benkoda heads up the handyman service. The team consists of three handymen and their work involves carrying out both internal and external repairs, from major plumbing through to odd jobs such as putting up shelves. The handymen service is also open to leaseholders, so if youвЂ™re seeking help with jobs around your home youвЂ™re able to access this service. For more information, please contact [email protected] After hearing from the committed estate services team we managed to catch up with a resident to find out what they think of the service on their estate. We spoke to Carol Kemp, a St Johns resident, who recently had help with her gardening. She said: вЂњIвЂ™m extremely happy with the work the team have carried out to my garden; it was done quickly and to a very good standard. I can now go out and relax in my garden as well as hang my washing up, something I couldnвЂ™t do before. I would like to thank the team for being extremely helpful and polite throughout the process.вЂќ Did you know? вЂў The bulk collection team disposes of 35вЂ“40 tonnes of rubbish a month. вЂў We have two in-house electricians who manage the communal lighting. вЂў We have gardening and decorating schemes for our elderly and vulnerable residents on the Isle of Dogs. вЂў We employ 22 staff who are residents living in and around East and North East London region looking for work and training opportunities. The estate services team are there to keep your estate safe and clean but we all have our role to play, so donвЂ™t forget to dispose of your rubbish responsibly so that everyone can be proud of their home. If you notice that someone has dumped large items of rubbish causing an obstruction, do let one of our caretaking staff know or email bulkcollectionteam@ onehousinggroup.co.uk. If you spot a light bulb in a communal area on your estate that is not working, email us at communuallightingteam@ onehousnggroup.co.uk or report this and any other concerns to your housing officer. Please contact your housing officer if you think your estate could benefit from a local offer on 0300 123 9966 / 020 8821 5300. Spring 2014 quite challenging at times, especially emptying the bins on my own.вЂќ Spring 2014 10 Tacklinganti-socialbehaviour We work in partnership with Safer Neighbourhood teams and councils to address and resolve cases of anti-social behaviour (ASB) so that everyone can feel safe and secure in their homes and community. Here are a few ways in which weвЂ™ve tackled ASB recently. вЂ” A resident told us that she suspected drug-dealing was taking place at Rubicon Court, KingвЂ™s Cross. A housing officer investigated this and we then worked with the local Safer Neighbourhood team so that they could increase patrols in the area. However, disturbances from the property increased and the noise nuisance team became involved, issuing an Abatement Notice. Thanks to breaches of tenancy and evidence from other partners, we served notice of possession as the resident had a starter tenancy. We continued to work with other local partners to ensure that the perpetrator was supported and helped as some of the family were vulnerable. In October we took possession of the property and ended the drug-dealing that was blighting this new development. вЂ” A neighbouring resident of Montpelier Grove, Camden, was racially assaulted by a drunken One Housing Group resident. The offender was later convicted by the civil courts and we applied for an injunction to moderate his behaviour and prevent repeat offences. The trial took longer than expected and the perpetrator and visitors to his home continued to cause noise nuisance in and around the property. A large number of residents were affected by his behaviour and extremely upset that he was ignoring the interim injunction that was granted so we escalated the case to apply for possession. We had the full support of the neighbouring residents and the local Safer Neighbourhood team who testified at court and an Outright Possession Order was granted in September 2013. The perpetrator had lived at the property for 12 years and had not responded to repeated attempts to help him change his behaviour. The perpetrator appealed but this was rejected and we took full possession of the property in October. These case studies are great results for communities affected by ASB and could not have been achieved without partnership working. 11 Spring 2014 Spring 2014 12 Helping you find the right home Housing associations join forces to create positive local results Selby Street in Tower Hamlets is an estate run jointly by One Housing Group, Southern Housing Group, Newlon and Spitalfields. The landlords meet regularly to tackle challenges on Selby Street and to create a community that everyone can be proud of. Some of the issues which matter most to residents of Selby Street include value for money and how this can be applied to pest control, parking, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and maintenance. A joint pest control service was agreed recently by One Housing Group, Southern Housing Group, Newlon and Spitalfields. Using just one service provider will save money and ensure that every resident receives the same quality of service. Following a resident meeting in December and estate wide consultations, One Housing Group and Southern Housing announced that residents have now been awarded two free parking permits per household. This service began in April and you can find out how to get hold of your free parking permit by talking to your housing officer. Good estate lighting is essential to help residents stay safe. The Selby Street consortium has received extra funding of ВЈ10,000 from Southern Housing which will be spent on improving lighting on the estate, with special attention focused on the car parks which see increased ASB during the dark winter months. The works are being specified by external contractors appointed by Southern Housing Group and One Housing GroupвЂ™s Nick Rampton, a qualified mechanical and electrical engineer, will be supervising and advising. Residents were able to meet each other and other social landlords to find the best way to advertise their property and help make an exchange. Our Welfare Reform and Allocations teams were also on hand to give advice and support to residents looking to move or affected by under-occupation, overcrowding or welfare reforms. Tenancy fraud In December we launched a tenancy fraud campaign, giving residents the chance to hand back the keys to properties that are not being lived in by the registered tenant. WeвЂ™re pleased that the campaign resulted in keys being returned for a number of properties in KingвЂ™s Cross and Westminster. This means that we can now offer these properties to people who really need a home. Do you know someone in a social housing property who: вЂў is renting out their One Housing Group property without permission? вЂў got their One Housing Group property by lying? вЂў has a One Housing Group property but is living somewhere else? вЂў has sold the keys of a One Housing Group property to someone else? 13 We have been working with boroughs and other social landlords to promote mutual exchange. In November over 200 people attended an вЂ�Islanders on the moveвЂ™ property exchange event at the Phoenix Heights Community Centre. We organised the event in partnership with East End Homes, Gateway Housing, Poplar Harca, Southern Housing Group and Swan Housing. All of these are examples of tenancy fraud. Offenders are using up valuable housing accommodation and depriving families and vulnerable people on the waiting list. Benefit from a new house swapping scheme Recent changes to the law mean that itвЂ™s now a crime to commit tenancy fraud with a property that you rent from One Housing Group. Those who do sublet their property, sell keys or are living somewhere else can face a fine of up to ВЈ5,000, two years in jail and lose their home. As one of our residents you will now be able to use the UKвЂ™s leading online property exchange service, House Exchange free of charge. We want to stamp out illegal subletting and will continue to track down those who do it. If you suspect subletting, you can contact us in confidence on 0300 123 9966 or 020 8821 5300. Alternatively you can email us at: [email protected] Spring 2014 House Exchange works by pairing up potential partners who want to switch homes across the UK and features almost a quarter of a million properties. It is the only service to offer instant matches as well as a unique three-way matching service, and you are able to view thousands of potential matches when looking for a new home. Spring 2014 Representatives from HomeSwapper and House Exchange were also there to give expert advice on how to use their webbased mutual exchange systems and how to advertise successfully. Over 50 new residents registered with HomeSwapper and House Exchange on the day. More events like this are planned, so please look out for details. To find out more about mutual exchange, contact the Allocations Team on 020 8821 5230 or email [email protected] As part of our financial inclusion initiative we have looked at ways to increase mobility amongst our tenants, especially those who are under occupying or living in over crowded homes. Did you know that we offer up to ВЈ3,000 to encourage tenants who are under-occupying their homes to move to a smaller property through our own transfer system? You may also be eligible for help with removal costs, payment for the reconnection of appliances and up to ВЈ250 B&Q vouchers towards home improvements. In the last year we have re-housed more than 12 under-occupiers, freeing up family-sized accommodation for our overcrowded tenants. We caught up with Dennis to find out how he is getting on in his new home (see below). Meet Dennis Dennis had lived in his London home for nine years. His family situation had changed so he now had a spare bedroom that he wasnвЂ™t using. After speaking with his housing officer, he decided to look into an internal transfer. вЂњI was really concerned about the costs and upheaval of it all. I simply wouldnвЂ™t have been able to move without help. вЂњHaving a smaller home is much more suited to my needs. Being in a smaller property is more economical вЂ“ my heating bills have halved. IвЂ™d recommend people look into it.вЂќ If you are under occupying and interested in downsizing please contact our Allocations Team on 020 8821 5230 or allocations@ onehousinggroup.co.uk Visit www.houseexchange.org.uk for more details. 14