Home Connections forges job links for Choice Based Lettings

Home Connections has been commissioned by the Greater London Authority to run an innovative project to develop the linkages between choice based lettings (CBL) with employment opportunities and services. The project is called the Housing Employment Connections project (HECs) and it will run for 8 months and is supported by several local authorities, housing associations and specialist employment providers across London.The project will seek to introduce and integrate employment information and services to existing and potential social tenants when they bid (apply) for properties in London.

“Home Connections is excited about forging links between CBL and jobs. We want to transform the culture of housing lettings services from one of dependency to empowerment” said Chief Executive of Home Connections Ninesh Muthiah.“We’re looking forward to working with our partners on this project to create a new dynamic between employment services and CBL opportunities” he adds.

Peabody Trust Chief Executive Stephen Howlett said: ‘’we are working in communities with long-term unemployed people to help them gain the confidence and skills they need to get a job through our network of neighbourhood learning centres.

‘’This project is an excellent way of supporting and encouraging those people who are able, to enter the world of work.’’

The practice and functionality developed in this project may be incorporated into existing CBL schemes and any future pan London choice based lettings and mobility scheme. Cambridge University will be involved in monitoring and evaluating the outcomes from the project.

London has the highest proportion of adults in England outside the formal labour market. Within the capital there is a growing link between worklessness and housing tenure: almost two thirds of all workless households in London now occupy social rented accommodation. Just over 50 per cent of all social renting working age households are not in work, compared with 19 per cent of private renters and seven per cent of owner-occupiers.

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For further information visit www.home-connections.co.uk

Or contact:
Ninesh Muthiah, Home Connections Consortium (07984 884 343)
Ninesh.muthiah@homeconnections.org.uk

Joe McLoughlin, Home Connections Consortium (07939 825 164)
Joe.mcloughlin@homeconnections.org.uk

Notes to editors:

Peabody’s Pan London “Selections”

selections.jpgPeabody Housing Trust founded in 1862 is one of the largest RSL groups working in London. Peabody has its own Act of Parliament setting out its objective to work solely within London for the relief of poverty. It owns or manages over 18,500 homes across 26 London boroughs and delivers a range of community regeneration programmes.

Working in Partnership with Home Connections, Peabody Housing Trust’s choice based lettings service, “Selections”, went live on 26 November. The system offers home seekers the opportunity to express an interest in the home of their choice by bidding on the web site using their band as currency. The Trust is offering a pan London opportunity to their customers wanting to move anywhere within their portfolio, the first RSL in London to do so.

Home seekers can view the full range of homes available and can apply to bid for any home of their choice for which they are eligible. The full suite of housing options will be available through the site with opportunities for social and open market Homebuy, intermediate rent and shared ownership in the very near future.

Jenny Scott Assistant Director of Peabody reported “during the first week homes were advertised across all 5 London sub regions. 549 people logged onto the Selections site and 311 bids were made for the 23 homes advertised. 40% of people bidding did so outside of Office hours, offering a 24 hour service to our customers.”

Visit selections.peabody.org.uk now