On 6th September, the Scottish Government introduced emergency legislation which put a freeze on an increase in rents for social landlords and also stopped evictions until at least March 2023, in response to the cost of living crisis.
This is a challenging time financially. We all face the increase in the cost of living; energy and food prices. Inflation also means a rise in the cost of materials; labour; maintaining offices and transport. We will continue to monitor expenditure carefully to ensure it is focused on delivery of our strategic objectives for customers to ensure value for money.
Social landlords face the challenge of keeping rents affordable while still investing in homes. Rent costs is vital to contributing to our planned programme but also to our reactive repairs, including window replacements, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, re-wiring, close painting, smoke and heat installation, electrical testing and repairs, cyclical compliance, fire risk assessemtns, bulk uplifts, gutter cleaning and roof repairs and landscaping and estate management. These are essential in both complaince and to maintain good quality housing.
We will continue to look at ways of increasing efficiency to save costs: turning around empty properties quickly, good partnership working with Govan Home Team our subsidary company to ensure repairs are carried out quickly and a streamlined application process so people are well prepared and ready to move in as soon as they can.
We, like most social landlords, set our rent following consultation from around this time. So while the freeze has no immediate effect, it will affect our buisness plan and budgeting for the future. This would affect works from our planned programme and some of our estate management that we had increased due to the reduction in services from Glasgow City Council, cleansing services.
We will continue to keep our customers informed of the impact of the current government measures and consult on how we can respond.
More than ever, we welcome feedback from tenants on what is important to them at this time and how we can help. Our additional support services to customers are more essential that they have ever been.
Please get in touch if you are worried about paying your rent or have any other concerns. We are here to help and we can do this through:
- Our Money Advice Team
- Assistance with applications to Scottish Welfare for emergencies
- Accessing Community Care Grants for white goods and furniture
- Energy advice, grants and assistance
- Partnership agencies for additional support
- Advice on access to food provision
- Community groups and staying connected.
You can contact us on 0141 440 0308 or by email to general@govanha.org.uk