Port of Leith Housing Association Newsletter Summer 2015

YOUR RENT MATTERS

Did you know…..

Over 200 people bid for

each of our advertised

properties so don’t risk

losing yours. You might not

get another council or

housing association

property if you are evicted.

Five households lost their

PoLHA home in recent

months because they were

evicted for rent arrears.

Your rent is your

responsibility. If you are

having difficulties, don’t

ignore the problem as it

won’t go away.

Contact your housing officer and together we can help you sort

out your money and benefit problems.

See over for the difference working together makes.

Getting help costs nothing. Don’t risk your home, pick up the phone.

Call us on 554 0403.

PORTCALL

PoLHA’s Out of Hours Emergency Number is: 0800 783 7937

PAYING YOUR RENT

Your rent is due to be paid on the 1st of the month and you are

responsible for making sure this is paid on time.

You can pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly using your Allpay payment

card, by Direct Debit, through our website or at our office. We cannot

accept cash due to security reasons.

If you are having difficulty paying your rent, don’t risk your home, pick

up the phone. Call your housing officer and make an appointment.

This is the difference working together makes:

IS THIS YOU? THIS COULD BE YOU!

We have a range of additional advice services; your housing officer can arrange a referral.

Money and Debt (Fiona Neilson 553 8745)

Welfare Benefits (Susan Colvin 553 8781)

Employability and Advice (Jane Whiting 553 8757)

Tenancy Sustainment (to help you settle into your new home) (Leo Paredes 553 8768)

Energy Efficiency (Simon Barnes at Changeworks 555 4010).

Tenant A fell behind with his rent

when he was getting partial housing

benefit and didn’t make up the

shortfall in his rent. He ignored our

attempts to contact him and didn’t

keep to the one repayment

arrangement he made, despite being

warned that he risked losing his

home. The arrears continued to

increase and we finally had no option

but to take him to court, where the

Sheriff granted us decree to evict the

tenant and he lost his home.

Tenant B fell behind with his rent when

he had health problems. He contacted

our tenant support team and got help

to sort out his benefits and health

related issues. This resulted in an

increased housing benefit payment; an

increase in welfare benefits including a

backdated benefit payment of over

£2000; ongoing support with health

issues and an affordable arrangement

to pay off his debts, including rent

arrears. The tenant is now much more

able to cope and has kept his home.

DIGITAL SKILLS SESSIONS

Would you like help to use a computer? Every Monday from 2-4pm we hold a drop-in

session in our training room. There is no need to book and it is open to all tenants

aged 16 and over.

You can learn how to:

1. Use Skype to make free ‘phone calls’ to friends and relatives across the world

while you can see each other

2. Access benefits online and money/other advice

3. Search for jobs and use online application forms

4. Look for courses and apply for them

5. Use Facebook and Twitter

6. Access YouTube and other online videos and television catch up programmes

7. Shop online and snag bargains – get your shopping delivered

8. Post and share photos

If you would like more information contact Jane Whiting

on 553 8757 / jane.whiting@polha.co.uk

£500 RAISED FOR COMIC RELIEF

Our residents from Jameson Place sheltered housing development donned red

noses and t-shirts to host a home baking sale where they raised £500 for Comic

Relief in March.

Maureen Tait, Sheltered Housing

Services Manager, said:

“We are delighted so many

people came along and bought

delicious home-made goodies.

The residents really enjoy

supporting charity initiatives and

coming up with a range of treats

to sell. We’re delighted to have

raised £500 for Comic Relief.”

500 NEW HOMES TO BE BUILT BY 2020

We are investing £55 million to build 500 additional new homes in north Edinburgh

by 2020.

Chief Executive Keith Anderson said:

“Edinburgh continues to have the highest average house prices compared to

other cities in Scotland and, combined with stagnating household incomes, is

restricting the number of people from becoming home owners, increasing the

demand for social housing and for mid market rented housing as well as open

market rented housing.”

In our new five year plan, we are helping to meet the City of Edinburgh’s challenge

to build new homes. The housing list has more than 26,000 registered applicants

and demand for social housing remains very high with over 200 bids received for

each new vacancy over the past year. It is estimated that over 1,600 new affordable

homes are needed each year for each of the next 10 years to resolve this problem.

As well as investment in new properties, we plan to invest a further £8 million in

ensuring all our homes meet the required quality standards, including the new

Energy Efficiency Standard, by 2020.

LEITH GALA DAY

Many people came along to this year’s Leith Gala. This is the 6th year we’ve had a

stall where we showcased our latest developments in the pipeline, as well as

providing advice on housing. Information on training and employment opportunities

for young people in Leith through TOiL was also available. As this year marks our

40th anniversary, we made a

picture board displaying old

photographs of buildings in

Leith and tenants dating as

far back as 1975!

We ran competitions giving

away some amazing prizes

which have been

generously donated by our

contractors.

A huge thank you to them

and congratulations to all

the winners!

MAJOR REPAIR WORKS AT TRAFALGAR STREET

Working with private owners, we have been

undertaking some repair works at Trafalgar Street.

These works ensure this pre 1919 tenement has

years of life still in it and remains a comfortable

home for our customers. In completing these works

we have prepared three properties ready for let.

FUNDING SECURED FOR TOIL

TOiL (Training Opportunities in Lothian) has secured additional significant funding which will allow it to expand services into East Lothian.

An additional Employability Officer will be working with adults within the wider community facing employment barriers due to disability or ill health.

This will support up to 65 unemployed young people as well

as continuing to support PoLHA tenants with employability issues.

John Murray manages the TOiL programme. He said:

“In 2014/15 TOiL supported 76% of trainees into employment, modern apprenticeships or further education against a national average of 44% which is the most successful year to date.

“It is TOiL’s ambition to deliver a similar level of success with a greater number of individuals this year.”

PET POLICY - PAWS FOR THOUGHT

We accept that many of you want to keep a pet but we also want you to think carefully about how an animal will fit into your life and also how you are going to be able to look after it. You can get lots of help and information from the PDSA website http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-advice/your-right-pet

If you do want to keep a pet such as a cat or a dog, you must write to us for permission in advance. We will send you a form to complete and return. Only once you have received written permission from us should you go ahead and get a pet. You do not normally need permission to keep fish or small caged animals and birds.

If you would like to find out more about pet permissions please contact your Housing Officer on 554 0403.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR

TENANTS – BECOME A TENANT

INSPECTOR

We are looking for tenants to get

involved in a new project with us

and to lead on inspections of some

of our services.

A ‘tenant led inspection’ is where

tenants choose one of our services

to inspect, look at what works well

and what doesn’t work so well, and

make recommendations on areas

for improvements. Inspections can

take a variable amount of time,

depending on what service tenants

choose to inspect. Training will be

provided.

Come on – give it a go!

If you are able to take part or are

interested in finding out more,

please contact Wendy Chan,

Customer Engagement Officer on

0131 553 8707 or

wendy.chan@polha.co.uk

NEW FACES AT POLHA

Jonathan Smith Project Officer: Assets

Gunduz Ozturk

Information Communication Technology Officer

Serena Selkirk Assistant Project Officer

Rachel Gilburt

Customer Advice Assistant

Asima Hussain

Work Placement

Officer (Edinburgh)

Eleanor Templeton

Work Placement

Officer (East Lothian)

Alex Galloway

Training Officer

(East Lothian)

Paul McMahon

Assistant Housing Officer (Lochend/Restalrig)

ISA REMEMBERS HER UNCLE The recent 100

th anniversary of the Quintinshill

rail disaster, near Gretna, raised memories for

two of our sheltered housing residents. Isa

MacKenzie at Hermitage Court had an uncle, Private William

Nimmo, who was killed in the crash as one of the many 1/7

Battalion Royal Scots. Isa attended the ceremony at Pilmeny

Church to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the crash.

At Jameson Place, Helen Hutchison’s recent purchase of a ceramic poppy from the

Tower of London display led her to track a name to attach to her poppy, as each

poppy represented a fallen soldier. Inspecting lists of names she realised that two

victims of the Quintinshill train crash were

unnamed. At the recent commemoration at

Dreghorn

Woods,

these men

were finally

recognised

and named. Helen was one of many,

including our chief executive Keith Anderson,

to plant a tree alongside HRH The Princess

Royal.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO JOIN OUR BOARD

The work of the Association is overseen by a group of voluntary Board Members including tenants - we are keen to encourage more tenants to be involved. This requires you to be a member (which involves paying £1 for a share certificate) and to be elected at the AGM.

The Board sets the overall plans and oversees performance of the Association. It meets early in the evening, once a month for eight months in the year plus two all day ‘awaydays’. If you would like to find out more about this, please apply to Keith Anderson (Chief Executive and Secretary) at 108 Constitution Street, or email info@polha.co.uk

PoLHA’s opening hours

Monday 8:45am - 5:00pm Tuesday 10:00am - 5:00pm

Wednesday 8:45am - 5:00pm Thursday 8:45am - 5:00pm

Friday 8:45am - 3:45pm

Any repairs or maintenance issues outwith office hours should be reported to:

24 hour Response Line 0800 783 7937

Useful Telephone Numbers

NHS 24 111

National Grid (gas emergency) 0800 111 999

Scottish Water 0845 600 8855

ScottishPower 0845 272 7999

Citizens Advice (Leith) 0131 554 8144

Edinburgh Advice Shop 0131 220 2360

Police Scotland/Noise Stoppers 0131 311 3131

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

City of Edinburgh Council

Main switchboard 0131 200 2000

Council Tax & Benefits Office 0131 469 5000

Pest Control 0131 666 2623

Special Uplift 0131 529 3030

Port of Leith Housing Association Ltd,

108 Constitution Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6

6AZ

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Advice Team on 0131 554 0403.