4PP Housing news Spring 2019 Layout 1 - Hull 4PP... · 4PP Housing news Spring 2019_Layout 1...

The future is digitalDigital innovation drives the world we live intoday, and without online communications werisk being left behind. As a tenant you benefitbecause it makes our services much moreaccessible - you can contact us in a quick andeasy way whenever it suits.

Over the next few weeks we will start usingsome new technology to send out automatedtexts, emails and voice calls when we needto contact you in connection with yourtenancy. We will use the telephone numbersand email addresses that you have alreadygiven us so it is important that you let us knowif your contact details change. You can updateyour contact details on Housing Self Service.

More and more tenants are signing up toHousing’s Self Service because it is so easyto use and saves time going to a CustomerService Centre or phoning the call centre.You can report and track a repair or checkyour rent account at any time from almostanywhere using your digital mobile phone,tablet, laptop or PC.

To set up an account, all you have to do is goto the Council’s website atwww.hullcc.gov.uk/hss and answer a few shortquestions. You will need your paymentreference number, which is on your quarterlyrent statements. Then, you will receive yourpassword straightaway by email or in the post.It is so easy to get started.

Hull City Council Housing is on Facebook ‘Like’ our page and discover more information

3774 Corporate Marketing

This document can be made available in other formats (large print, audio, digital copy,or Braille) and different languages. Call (01482) 300 300.

Spring 2018

Chat with the chair

Don’t lose out!

A day in the life of MarkMcEgan...

Neighbourhoodnuisance

In this issueSpring

My focus is housing andneighbourhoodmanagement. With 24,500homes and an incomestream in the region of£95m, the role is wideranging as we – the Housingand NeighbourhoodsService - strive to ensurethat our homes and builtenvironment meet the needsand aspirations of the city’sresidents.

I love the challenges this rolebrings and the fact that no twodays are ever the same. Takethis morning, before leaving

home I was in telephonecontact with severalcolleagues and partnerorganisations about anincident on one of our estateslast night. Satisfied that therewas nothing further we couldso at this stage, I set off forwork.

On reaching the office, thecaffeine habit kicks in, so Iusually have one (or two) cupsof coffee while going throughmy emails. The first that grabsmy attention is from a wardcouncillor about housingallocation policy, which I’m

able to delegate to one of mypractice managers. Another isfrom a local Tenants’ andResidents’ Association invitingme to forthcoming meeting atwhich they are discussing theperformance of the facilitiesmanagement team.

Read more about my dayonline.

The Neighbourhood NuisanceTeam has 18 enforcementofficers who work closely withHumberside Police andpartners to tackle anti-socialbehaviour across the city.

In 2018 the team…

� handled 3,833 calls forservice

� supported around 3,500victims and witnesses

� dealt with 1,182perpetrators of anti-socialbehaviour

� used 3,387 informal andformal sanctions to tackleanti-social behaviour.

The team also has a VictimsChampion who provides extrasupport for the mostvulnerable victims.

If you are experiencing anti-social behavior please report iteither online atwww.hull.gov.uk or by ringingon 01482 300 300.

HOUSING NEWSHULL

COMPACT VERSION - EXTENDED ARTICLES ONLINE

Developed for tenants, by tenants, workingin partnership with Hull City Council

Date Time Agenda/Guest Speaker

Wed, 17 April 10am – 12noon Community Safety Advocates Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

Fri, 10 May 10am – 12noon Hull MPs

Mon, 17 June 6.30 – 8.30pm Control Room Manager Civic 1Streetscene Services

Tenants’ Forum meeting dates 2019

All meetings take place in The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Kingston upon Hull, HU1 2AA . Anyone interested in any of the above meetings or to gain further information should call 01482 300 300and ask to speak to the Tenant Participation Team.

Voice of Tenants Read the full articles www.hull.gov.uk/housingnews

A day in the life of … MarkMcEgan, Assistant City Manager

We need you onsocial media

Neighbourhood Nuisance - DID YOU KNOW?

We’ve had more and more tenants gettinginvolved with us since we set up Housing’ssocial media accounts. Already there are 719followers on Facebook and numbers aregrowing on our newly launched Twitteraccount. Especially popular are our eveningFacebook Live sessions. They are immediate,you can participate at home or fromanywhere, and it’s your chance to put yourviews directly to Housing’s decision makers.

If you go online, please like our Facebookpage, Hull Council Housing and follow theTenant Participation Team’s Twitter feed -@HCCTPT.

Social media leads the way in 21st centurycommunication.

You can read these articles in full in the longer online version of Hull Housing News atwww.hull.gov.uk/housingnews as well a more news items from the council’sNeighbourhoods and Housing Service.

Follow Hull Housing on www.facebook.com/hulltp @HCCTTPwww.facebook.com/hullcitycouncilhousing @Hullccnews

4PP Housing news Spring 2019_Layout 1 02/04/2019 09:30 Page 1

Read the full articles www.hull.gov.uk/housingnewsRead the full articles www.hull.gov.uk/housingnews

Read the full articles www.hull.gov.uk/housingnews

Hull Housing News Did you know you can read alonger version of Hull HousingNews on-line, and it has morestories? All you have to do isclick on the opening page of theHull City Council website –www.hull.gov.uk

Don’t lose out! Are you or your partner aged 65or over? From Wednesday 15May 2019, Pension Credit ischanging for couples where oneis above 65 and one is below;known as “mixed agedcouples”. From 15 May,entitlement to benefits will bebased on the age of theyoungest partner, not the oldest,and you may need to claimUniversal Credit instead. 

If you do not already receivePension Credit, make sure youclaim before Wednesday 15 Mayor you risk losing up to £7,000per year in benefits. 

Nationally, only 50% of thosewho are eligible for PensionCredit claim it, so don’t missout. For more information and tosee how much you could beentitled to, check out ourbenefits calculator at hull.gov.uk

You can call the Pension Creditclaim line on 0800 991 234

Hull MoneyNext time you are looking for aloan, or thinking of buyingsomething new for the house,check out the Hull Moneywebsite www.hullmoney.comYou might be pleasantlysurprised by just how much youcan save when you need toborrow money.

The Hull Money website canalso help you if you are thinkingof opening a savings account, orneeding an account to pay yourbills.

You can do it all online or overthe phone. Keep a note of theHull Money details - they arethere to help residents of ourcity. www.hullmoney.com

call: 01482 426 988email: info@hullmoney.com

Keeping warm Now that spring is here, it mayseem strange to think aboutkeeping warm at home.However, the Hull Warm Homesteam, formerly Hull Warm Zone,are out and about offeringadvice and support on energyefficiency, making savings onyour fuel bills and keeping warmat home. Look out for them atWard Forums and other eventsacross the city or contact themvia the council’s call centre01482 300 300 (Monday toFriday, 9am to 5pm) or email

WarmHomesTeam@hullcc.gov.uk

Is your gardenbloomingmarvellous? By popular demand, we aremaking the Tenants’ GardenCompetition a regular feature inour activities calendar. We willbe accepting entries for thisyears’ competition from the endof April to Friday 21 June.

The categories are ‘BestIndividual Garden’ and ‘BestCommunal Garden’ with twonew categories ‘GardeningUndertaken in a ConfinedSpace’ and ‘Best Container,’with trophies for the winners ineast, west and north Hull, andthe best individual and bestcommunal gardens competingfor the citywide trophies in eachcategory.

Chat with the Chair

You said ……If a tenant living in a highrise flat was taken ill, orthere was anotheremergency, and dialled 999but couldn’t reach theintercom, how would theemergency services get intothe block?

We did ……We liaised with the police,fire and ambulance servicesas well as NHS patienttransport and all of themnow carry PAC fob keys toblocks on their patch. Thismeans they can letthemselves into thecommunal areas of thebuildings.

Hull Housing News News In Brief

entry form

tenant.resident@hullcc.gov.uk

Be proud of your garden and enter Hull City Council’s

gardening competition.

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Bayswater’sbondA very special bond has beendeveloped by Bayswater Courttenants with students and staffat Wilberforce College over thelast two to three years.

Initially, contact was made whenstudents were invited to helpplant trees in the communitygarden. Since then studentshave helped develop thedementia garden and painted thebrightly coloured murals whilsthelping residents keep on top ofany weeding. Some residentsare now familiar faces at theCollege, attending concerts andthe students pop in to thecommunity flat from time to timeto enjoy some livelyconversation.

I’m kicking off thisissue’s column bysaying many, manycongratulations to AnnReekie. Ann has always been atenants’ champion, speakingup for empowerment andrecognition for tenants. Shehas just been elected to thenational committee of See thePerson (formerly Benefit toSociety), which campaignsagainst tenants beingstigmatised because they livein social housing.

Ann has been involved insetting up See the Personfrom the very beginning. Thiswas in the immediate

aftermath of the dreadfulGrenfell tragedy when anumber of people wereshocked by the inappropriatereporting by some elements ofthe media, and resolved thatsuch attitudes must change.

The campaign is currentlylooking for examples wherebytenants themselves or theirfamilies have been treated orspoken to in an insulting orbelittling manner simplybecause they live in socialhousing. Any contributions(anonymous or otherwise) willbe used to illustrate the type ofbehaviour we are seeking toquash in representations togovernment and the media.Please send any examples to

tenant.resident@hullcc.gov.ukand the Tenant ParticipationTeam will coordinate yourresponses.

Nev AllisonChair of the Tenants’ Forum

Spotlight on Charterhouse ResidentsHull’s historic Charterhouse area is home to 270 tenants and residents.Its’ relatively new, but very active Residents’ Group were recentlyvisited by an international delegation from the British Council’s ActiveCitizens programme, who helped with their annual litter pick.Together they collected 15 sacks of rubbish within an hour.

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