Support when it matters most - G15 Community Impact Report 2022

Every G15 member is seeing the acute impact of the cost of living crisis on the people we provide homes to and the communities we operate in.

As energy bills continue to rise and the essentials of everyday life become increasingly unaffordable, more residents are needing support than ever before.

We know that providing a good quality and affordable home has never been more important, but we have also seen how critical the wider work that G15 members provide to communities is during these challenging times.

This year, our members invested over £25m in communities services. They also supported residents to secure £43.95m in budget boosting measures and provided 33,767 people with targeted advice support.

We are pleased to share this report that showcases the breadth of vital support the community investment services across the G15 are providing.

These projects have been designed and delivered in partnership with residents and local communities. By listening to the issues affecting them, G15 members were able to tailor services and activities to provide the support that residents really want. Key themes have emerged from these case studies.

• Support at the sharp end - with Catalyst and Southern Housing establishing foodbanks in partnership with residents to support local families.
• Financial resilience and career training - including Hyde’s innovative and adaptable Universal Credit Helper.
• Living well, living better - such as A2 Dominion’s Emotional Wellbeing Project and Network Home’s new dedicated mental health support team.
• Empowering young people’s futures - showcased through MTVH’s pioneering research into the impact of the housing crisis on young people’s housing prospects.

This report showcases the breadth of activities provided by the G15 alongside local partners and demonstrates why strong partnership working is crucial to delivering impactful services. Collectively reflecting on the way members have worked provides learning to shape our future service delivery and allows for projects to be adopted across the sector.

Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair and Chief Executive of MTVH, commented:

"The community investment services that the G15 members provide will be vital in supporting residents through the cost of living crisis that has been driven by rising energy bills. As housing associations, our members are uniquely placed to provide local, holistic, and joined up support to residents. This report shines a light on the fantastic community initiatives across the G15 that are supporting residents when they need them most."