Tenants’
Newsletter
SPRING 2022
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
“Providing quality affordable homes, and improving
the standard of life of the community”
New Build
Development Plans
We are delighted to report that we have
returned to development works and look
forward to investing in much needed homes
in the area, to households registered on the
waiting list. Our Development Agent is Choice
Housing Association, and we look forward to
benefiting from their wealth of experience.
The Association were pleased to receive
final confirmation from the Northern Ireland
Housing Executive that supported the types of
homes needed.
We are pleased to have appointed Hall, Black,
Douglas Architects. We look forward to consulting
with the local community on our final design
plan, prior to submission to Belfast City Council
for planning approval in May 2022. Community
consultation will commence in March, if you
are interested in attending this event you must
register your interest by contacting Paul Stuart,
Housing Ocer on 028 9077 3330 or email
housing@groveha.org.uk. We look forward to
discussing our plans in person.
The design team have progressed the numerous
surveys that are necessary prior to the planning
approval stages and we remain on target with
the scheme programme.
Subject to planning approval we anticipate to be
on-site in 2023 and will commence construction
works for 26 new homes:
12NO 3PERSON, 2BEDROOM
GENERAL NEED HOUSES
7NO 5PERSON 3BEDROOM
GENERAL NEED HOUSES
5NO 3PERSON 2BEDROOM
WHEELCHAIR BUNGALOWS
1NO 6PERSON 4BEDROOM
WHEELCHAIR BUNGALOW
A lot of time was invested engaging with the local
community and representatives to support people
in housing need, particularly those with disabilities,
to come forward and have their needs assessed.
It is hoped that we can go on to develop a
second phase of additional homes. To reduce
fuel poverty we would hope that any 2nd Phase
of additional homes will be built to Passive House
standards. We would welcome the opportunity
of a comparative study between the two phases.
Our residents would be educated on the use and
benefits of living in these modern homes of the
future. This builds on Grove Community Housing
Association’s previous achievements in
eco-housing awards e.g. UK Retrofit of the Year.
Newbuild - North Queen Street, Belfast
2
Contents
New Build Development Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The 3 Ps
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Compliance and Asset Management
. . . 4
Routine and Planned Maintenance
. . . . . . 5
Upcoming Events
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Christmas Event
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Supporting Youth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Tenant Voice Group
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Safe, Secure & Warm Homes
. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Tenant Wellbeing Gardening Event
. . . . . 11
Promoting Safe and
Connected Communities
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Universal Credit
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tenancy Fraud & Complaints
. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Investing in Our Homes and
How We Set Rent to Deliver Services
. . 16
3
Compliance
and Asset
Management
Safe Homes
We have invested heavily in digital transformation
within the management of our assets, ensuring a
single source of truth for compliance. We can gain
real-time transparency, accountability and insight
into all key areas of compliance.
X Tag (formerly ‘Gas Tag’) enables us to have real-
time visibility on our gas compliance processes,
which means our residents can trust they are
protected to the highest standard when it comes
to gas safety.
This system also verifies that the Gas Safe
Registration of every engineer that attends is
fully up-to-date. If it is not, the inspection could
not go ahead.
It is vital our tenants provide access annually
when contacted. This inspection also includes a
check of the fire alarms and CO2 alarm.
We continue to use innovative, remote visual
assistance software “Host.com”. This enables
our maintenance team to resolve tenant repair
requests, allowing them to show their problems
in real-time through their smart phone camera.
This assists with swift diagnosis of the repair.
Also it keeps everyone safe when tenants have
been isolating due to Covid-19. If it is more
convenient for you to have a real time call
via your smart phone please discuss with the
Maintenance Department.
We are delighted that this investment has resulted
in being shortlisted for CIH All-Ireland Housing
Awards 2022. We will continue to promote best
practice in tenant safety in our housing sector and
wish all our colleagues luck for the awards event.
We are proud to be the first Housing
Association in Northern Ireland to
implement this robust compliance
management system.
4
Routine
and Planned
Maintenance
Planned Maintenance
We have now completed our stock condition
surveys. This information has been used to
inform further planned investment in our homes
for 2022/23. As we near the end of 2021/22 we
hope to have completed the last of our upgrades
to new highly ecient boilers. We also will have
commenced two further door replacement
schemes. In 2022/23 we will be continuing
with both door replacement schemes and new
modern kitchen replacements. We look forward
to consulting with the individual households that
will be getting upgrades this year.
Adaptations
We understand that our tenants can be aected
with health and mobility issues and will continue
to support our tenants as their needs change.
The local Occupational Therapy Service (located
at the Grove Well-Being Centre) provide a free
assessment of your needs. For example they
can recommend to us installation of level access
showers, stair lifts etc. (We can only provide
minor items such as additional hand rails without
at OT report - contact your Housing Ocer for
further advice.)
These works support tenants to retain their
independence, reduce the possibility of falls
and hospital admissions and enables ability to
remain in their home for as long as possible.
Routine Maintenance
We updated all tenants in January 2022 on the
current UK wide challenges in the construction
sector. We continue to work hard with our main
contractors, CTS to deliver a responsive repair
service during these constraints. Should you
5
If you would like any help with disability
adaptions to your home please contact
our Housing Ocer Paul Stuart by
emailing housing@groveha.org.uk
or by calling him on 028 9077 3330.
have any concerns about the service please
contact us directly and we will keep you
updated.
https://groveha.org.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2022/02/Repairs-Notice-to-Tenants.pdf
We will not tolerate abuse
towards sta. Sta are continuing
to deliver our services during
these challenging times.
Please provide our oces with your most
up-to-date contact number and email
address. Also ensure you return any
missed calls to arrange access. Any missed
appointments could result in a recharge fee.
Tenant Voice
Group
Our Tenant Voice Group hopes to
meet in March 2022 depending on
tenants availability. Please contact
Paul your Housing Ocer on
028 9077 3330 to take part.
Everyone is warmly welcome
and there will be treats galore.
You said,
We listened...
Tenants have got in touch to ask can we
assist them with organising a community
clean-up event. We are delighted to fund
and support tenant-led initiatives that
improve your local community. Please
contact Paul your Housing Ocer if
you would like to discuss further.
We have recently supported
Belfast City Council in improving
some unsightly alleyways in
the area. We look forward to
continuing positive relationships
with statutory agencies to
improve the community.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Community
Clean-up
6
7
Sta enjoyed getting out and
about before the Christmas break,
delivering Goody Bags and safety
information to residents.
We were really happy to sponsor the local youth football teams
with £550 towards new football jerseys in September 2022.
We wish all the players at Grove United a successful and fun-filled
season and plenty of goals!!
8
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
Supporting the
youth within the
Grove Community
Tenant
Voice Group
Despite the challenges presented during
the year, we remained committed to staying
engaged with our residents and supported
our community. There were many examples of
people going above and beyond to help those
in need and we thank the many individuals and
organisations involved.
We were delighted in August 2021 to see some
familiar and new faces. Residents got together
with sta and Board to discuss the role they
could play in the Tenant Voice Group. This was
an enjoyable event in the beautiful setting of
Clifton House in an historic part of North Belfast
(this included a grand tour of Clifton House after
the event).
We greatly look forward to implementing the
recommendations to improving our services and
involving our tenants in our work.
Get in touch!
Do you have an idea you’d like to share,
or a story to tell, or comments about our services?
Please get in touch with an email to:
housing@groveha.org.uk
If you have any complaints or problems
they should still be addressed directly
to our oces. T: 028 9077 3330
(Please note we are unable to respond to anonymous emails)
9
LEVEL 1: Information and Communication
You receive regular information, participate in
surveys, provide feedback and keep us up to
date on how to communicate with you.
LEVEL 2: Group Structure
You help set up and participate in the local tenants
groups. You also participate in the organisation and
planning of social activities in the community.
LEVEL 3: Formal Based Tenant Group
You participate in a broader Tenant’s Forum which
looks at the work of the Association, scrutinises
our activities and policies and engages in our
business for the benefit of all tenants.
LEVEL 4: Governance Structure
You agree to serve on the Board of Grove
Community Housing Association having influence
in its strategic direction and how it is governed.
Level of Participation
choice for tenants
I noticed a big difference
as soon as the new boiler was fitted - our
home feels warmer and I didn’t need to
top up the gas so often. The workmen
were very efficient and took time to show
me how the new timer works.
Tenant Feedback
I am chuffed
with my new doors, it’s really
keeping the heat in and looks
beautiful and I was so happy I
was able to choose my colour.
Thank you Grove Housing.
Tenant Feedback
10
Almost £154,000 awarded to our tenants.
SAFE & SECURE
HOMES
We are pleased to be continuing with our
replacement doors programme for a number
of our homes. Ritchie Street was completed
in December 2020 and as we go to print, we
should also be on-site for further replacement
doors at Ivan Street and Glasgow Street. This
investment in secure by-design doors will
provide a much improved level of both thermal
comfort and security and help reduce heat
loss. Tenants were involved in door choice
colours and we look forward to the full scheme
being completed over the coming weeks.
WARM HOMES
We are pleased to be nearing the end of our
extensive boiler replacement programme. Our
engineers and sta have been busy ensuring
arrangements are in place to upgrade a number of
boilers and also carry out a few of the last remaining
oil to gas conversions. The new boilers are top
of the range and highly ecient, vitally important
in the current climate of increasing gas charges
across the U.K. We are also engaging with local
organisation L.C.A.P. who are through Belfast City
Council dispersing Department for Communities Fuel
Poverty Fund. Contact L.C.A.P. sta if you are in fuel
poverty T: 078 2899 2479 (Note the fund is limited).
We would urge further government investment and
uptake of these schemes. We will support further
initiatives throughout 2022/23 and continue to
signpost tenants to North Belfast Advice Partnership
for additional support with benefits and hardship
concerns. The Association have also donated further
funds to North Belfast Advice Partnership.
Telephone: 028 9039 1225
Email: advice@ligonielvillage.com
https://twitter.com/nbapadvice/
Our Chair Mr Brian Dunn enjoying a chat with residents.
Tenant Wellbeing
Gardening Event
(Kindly funded by Belfast City Council)
Our Tenant Wellbeing Gardening
Event took place on Thursday
30th September 2021. We held
a gardening workshop where
tenants were able to participate
in potting up flowering plants
into containers, which they could then take
home with them to decorate their gardens. A
delicious platter of tasty treats was served up
for everyone to enjoy. It was a fantastic fun
day for both tenants and GCHA sta and a
great chance to get to know one another.
11
Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse can take many forms
and can aect anyone
Domestic abuse can be broadly defined as
a pattern of threatening, violent or abusive
behaviours (including coercive or controlling
conduct) by a current or former intimate partner
or family member.
This behaviour may be psychological, virtual,
physical, verbal, sexual, financial or emotional in
nature and inflicted on anyone (irrespective of
age, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity,
sexual orientation or any form of disability).
No-one should be subjected to any form of
domestic abuse.
Remember, you are not to blame for any abuse
that is happening to you.
Sexual abuse
If you have been sexually assaulted you can
report this to the police directly who will arrange
for you to visit the Rowan.
The Rowan is a specialist regional Sexual
Assault Referral Centre which provides a range
of services for people who have been raped or
sexually assaulted.
Its services are available for men, women,
children and young people.
Alternatively you can also access the Rowan
directly via its contact number.
PROMOTING SAFE AND CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
Children
Domestic abuse can have an impact on children
(including unborn children) which may not be
immediately obvious. Early intervention will
ensure that any impact is kept to a minimum.
It is police policy to share information with the local
Family and Child Care Manager where children
are resident or present at home at the time of a
domestic incident or where the victim is pregnant.
Support agencies
There are several organisations which can help
by oering emotional and practical support
24 Hour Free Phone
Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline
Freephone Helpline 0808 802 1414
(free from all landlines and mobiles)
The 24 Hour Domestic and Sexual Violence
Helpline is available 24 hours, seven days a week
to all women and men aected by domestic
violence and sexual violence.
The Rowan
Freephone Helpline 0800 389 4424
(from all landlines only)
See ‘Sexual Abuse’ section for more information.
Victim Support
028 90 244 039
Victim Support NI helps people aected by crime.
It oers a free and confidential service, whether
or not a crime has been reported and regardless
of how long ago the event took place.
12
13
PROMOTING SAFE AND CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
13
How to deal with
bogus callers
Most callers to your home will be genuine,
however there are some who may not be.
These callers are ‘Bogus Callers’ or ‘Distraction
Burglars’ who may want to trick their way into
your home to steal from you. If you are in any
doubt simply check your caller out with Quick
Check on Freephone 0800 012 3390.
Easy Steps with QUICK CHECK
• Before you answer the door, make
sure your back door is locked.
• If you have a door chain remember
to use it before you open the door.
• Ask the caller for their identification
and check it carefully.
• Ask them to wait outside and close the
door - genuine callers will not mind.
• Ring Freephone 0800 013 2290, your call
will be answered personally and promptly
by a trained operator. They will check with
the company on your behalf, that the person
at your door is genuine. If they are not or
thy think there is something suspicious,
they will contact the police immediately.
Drugs
The use of drugs in Northern
Ireland tears apart lives and
ruins communities. The PSNI
work closely with other partner
agencies to Keep People
Safe by targeting those who import, supply and
use drugs. They take a pro-active approach to
stopping drug dealers within our communities but
rely on your support to help them. If you have any
concerns about drug abuse in your area contact
the police at the numbers below.
• Do not let anyone into your home until you
are satisfied as to who they are. QUICK
CHECK is a FREE telephone service, which
is available 24 hours a day all year round
to residents throughout Northern Ireland.
Remember if in doubt check your caller out
with QUICK CHECK on 0800 013 22 90. In an
emergency dial 999.
Tenants have contacted us directly about
concerns of bogus callers and drug misuse
in the area, we hope that you find the
information below helpful. We continue
to engage regularly with our community
safety police ocers and are grateful for
their advice and extra footfall in the area.
UPDATE ON UNIVERSAL CREDIT
Universal Credit is a new single benefit
for working-age people. It will replace
the 6 current benefits and credits:
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and
Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
Universal Credit is designed to be paid once
per calendar month but customers can opt to
receive payments fortnightly. If you currently
receive Housing Benefit, the housing part of
Universal Credit payment can be paid directly
to us provided you choose that option.
PREPARING FOR UNIVERSAL CREDIT
Many of our tenants have already crossed
over to Universal Credit and we expect
many more of our tenants to be aected
as their circumstances change.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IF I
AM RECEIVING ONE OF THE
BENEFITS THAT UNIVERSAL
CREDIT IS REPLACING?
Initially, UC will be for tenants who are
making a fresh benefits claim, or who have
to report a ‘change of circumstances.
HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM IF I NEED TO?
Universal Credit applications must be made
online on www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit.
EXAMPLES OF A CHANGE OF
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE:
• finding or finishing a job
• having a child
• moving in with your partner
• starting to care for a child
• moving to a new address
• changing your bank details
• your rent going up or down
• changes to your health condition
•
becoming too ill to work or meet your work coach
• changes to your earnings
(only if you’re self-employed)
HOW TO REPORT
You can report a change of circumstances by either:
• signing in to your Universal Credit
account if you have one
• calling the Universal Credit helpline if
you do not have an online account
Please remember that your claim might be
stopped or reduced if you do not report a
change of circumstances straight away. When
reporting a Change of Circumstance, please
contact a member of the housing team as it
may aect your Universal Credit payments.
What you need
to know
14
REMEMBER
COMMUNICATION
IS THE KEY
TO EASING
BENEFIT WORRIES!
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR
UNIVERSAL CREDIT?
You can start to prepare for Universal Credit by:
• setting up a bank account
• setting up an email address
• learning how to use the internet
• checking how much rent you pay.
• making sure you have the documents you need
to verify your identity - this may include your
passport, driving license or a household bill.
We are oering our tenants support in applying
for Universal Credit together with accessing
and updating their journal - an essential
part of the criteria for Universal Credit.
Remember UC is paid monthly in arrears, so
you’ll have to wait one calendar month from
the date you submitted your application before
your UC payment is made - this is referred
to as your assessment period. It can take up
to five weeks before the first payment of UC
is made therefore it is important to make the
claim as soon as you are entitled to do so.
Tenants who have no change of
circumstances but are in receipt of any of
the six benefits Universal Credit is replacing,
will be transferred to UC from 2020.
15
Tenancy Fraud
Tenancy Fraud and Subletting
of GCHA properties
Grove Community Housing
Association are committed to
tackling tenancy fraud to ensure
our properties are used to their full
potential by those designated to
reside within them.
Addressing tenancy fraud can only be
achieved with the support of our tenants
and the information we receive. If you
suspect that someone is committing tenancy
fraud or subletting their home to someone
else, please contact us immediately.
Tenancy Fraud has a major impact on all those
currently awaiting a new home. To report any
suspected Tenancy Fraud, please contact our
Housing Ocer on 028 9077 3330.
Complaints
How to make a complaint
Contact Housing (Paul) on 028 9077 3330
or email housing@groveha.org.uk.
USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 0121 331
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Independent Welfare Changes
Helpline: Tel: 0808 802 0020
Department for Communities:
www.communities-ni.gov.uk
nidirect.gov.uk/articles/landlords-
tenants-claiming-universal-credit
Housing Rights Service: 028 9024 5640
Textphone: 028 9073 1577
https://www.housingrights.org.uk
16
Investing in
our homes and
how we work
Rent and proposed costs information for
2022/23
We currently deliver services to 218 homes in
and around the York Road and Shore Road area
of North Belfast. We want to continue to invest in
your homes and communities and to provide you
with aordable and excellent housing, repair and
advice services.
GCHA wants to let you know about its proposed
rent increase for 2022/23. We have set out within
this booklet information to help you understand
how GCHA invests its resources, what
commitments we intend to make for 2022/23,
and the proposed rent charges for 2022/23.
We aim to keep our costs aordable whilst
still striving to deliver excellent services and
improvements to your homes. However, with
increasing levels of inflation we expect our costs
to increase, particularly with building materials
and contracts where we are already seeing
costs rise. This aects the cost of repairs and
maintenance we deliver to you. Over the past
year we have continued to invest in your homes
and this booklet gives you an update on what we
have achieved over that past year and what we
plan do to in the next financial year of 2022/23.
The work we do is carried out by our team who
work across Finance, Housing Management and
Maintenance Services.
In 2021/22 GCHA had an anticipated expenditure
of just under £1 million. The biggest proportion
of this was invested in housing stock, just under
£180,000 was spent on improvements to homes.
Additionally £70k investment was made on a
property purchase that will be brought back into
use as a new, modern family home in 2022/23.
Rents we collect are our primary source of income.
We received a small amount of grant funding from
Belfast City Council for tenant activity. We aim to
collect over £1.1M of rent in 2022/23.
Value for Money
GCHA is committed to ensuring value for
money for our tenants. We aim to deliver this by
providing quality housing and services for a fair
and aordable rent.
Our longer-term budget strategy and business
planning seeks to manage our financial
resources eectively. Our approach to people
and performance management and information
technology aims to continually improve service
delivery and eciency.
The results of the survey showed us that tenants’
top two priorities were repairs and maintenance
and the overall quality of their home. This drives
the priorities that we seek to deliver and where
we spend the income we receive from your rents.
We’ve broken this down for you in the next few
graphs, detailing how we intend to deliver on
your priorities.
17
Anticipated Planned
Maintenance Costs
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Support & advice on claiming welfare benefit & paying rent
Workshops to improve overall wellbeing
Dealing with anti-social behaviour
The community you live in
Planned maintenance (e.g. door replacements)
Value for money of your rent
Listening to your views & acting on them
Day to day repairs
Keeping you up to date
Overall standard of your home
32.1%
35.7%
11.9%
9.5%
15.5%
26.2%
48.8%
14.3%
27.4%
47.6%
Which of the following three do you consider to be
top priorities for GCHA to improve on?
2019/20
Our Plans for 2022/23
Investment in your Homes
Source: GCHA Tenants Satisfaction Results 2019/20
Kitchen replacements . . . . . . . . . £252,500
Door & Window replacements
£132,300
Planned Maintenance. . . . . TOTAL £384,800
Anticipated Repairs and Other Costs
Change of Tenancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £27,828
External and Cyclical costs
. . . . . . £18,156
Misc. planned
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £5,652
Response (Day to Day)
. . . . . . . . . . £61,860
Service charge costs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . £12,861
Stock condition surveys
. . . . . . . . . . £18,144
18
Development
We have appointed our design team and have
budgeted £184K for professional fees towards
the various costs as we approach on site target
for end of 22/23. Surveys on site are nearing
completion and we are on target to deliver 26
new homes for North Belfast helping ease the
housing crisis evident in the numbers waiting for
new homes.
Housing Management
The Covid 19 pandemic has brought about
many diculties, and we remain committed to
supporting our tenants and communities through
this period of slow recovery and economic
impacts. Our Tenant engagement displays our
commitment to working with our tenants and their
local communities. We continue to engage on a
regular basis with our Tenant Voice Group and
invest in their development.
Our Tenant Voice Group has been set up to help
strengthen the links within our Association to
include our board, sta, and tenants to ensure
that they can eectively link into the decision-
making arrangements of our Housing Association.
GCHA sta continue to support their tenants to
improve customer awareness of welfare changes
and to develop and review communications
to our tenants on several key issues. Key
conversations held with our Tenant Voice Group
over the last year include meetings in August,
September and December.
As we emerge from the impacts the Covid-19
pandemic has left us with, we know that many
people are faced with many diculties and
challenges. Our sta have stayed in close contact
with tenants as much as possible, particularly
those who were vulnerable and isolated, and
this has helped us target support where it is
needed. The Association has found that many
of the changes to benefits has aected both
in-work and out-of-work tenants and their ability
to cover their rent and other bills. Through our
own operational day to day work, we know
that some tenants that had been working had
reduced hours or been made redundant and
are struggling to cope with a reduced income.
Our Housing Sta continue to assist tenants with
the Universal Credit process, providing advice,
signposting and making appropriate referrals to
other support agencies.
Universal Credit is a benefit for people of working
age who are on a low income or out of work.
Proposed Rent increase
Taking all these factors into account, the cost of
services and delivering what tenants have told us
are their priorities, we are proposing increasing
your rent from 4th April 2022 by 4%.
When we set rent levels, we need to make sure
that the Association’s income keeps pace with the
costs we have, like repairs and other overheads.
To help us with this, we use a measure of inflation
that our suppliers use to keep track of prices.
The Consumer Pice Index (CPI) is currently
sitting at 5.4% (December 2021), 2.1% lower than
the Retail Price Index (RPI) currently sitting at
7.5% (December 2021). The inflation rate of the
Consumer Price Index is expected to be 4% in
2022, and then fall to 2.6 percent in 2023.
Unfortunately, many of our suppliers increase
costs at a rate above inflation, so we need to
reflect this prediction in our rents to keep pace
with cost increases.
We also need to consider the forecasted increase
in inflation over the next year. We will continue to
use competition when we select suppliers to get
the best value for tenants. We want to continue the
current level of investment in our properties and
provide you with quality housing management,
repairs, and advice services. To maintain the
services and investment commitments outlined in
this leaflet in the year ahead, we need to increase
the rent in 2022/23 by 4%.
We plan to invest
over £6,000 in Tenant
and Community
engagement costs
19
Aordable Rents
Being able to set our own rents allows us to cover
the private loans that financed part of the building
costs. 12 of Grove’s tenancies are still “controlled”
as they started before September 1992.
In setting rents, the Association considers
government comments, as well as looking at its own
short and long term financial requirements and the
need to keep rents at aordable levels for tenants.
Our average rents vary slightly depending on
both age and size of the property. Figures include
service charges*:
1 BEDROOM - £59.81
2 BEDROOM - £89.85
3 BEDROOM - £97.62
4 BEDROOM - £83.19
This demonstrates our rents are aordable and
they continue to remain below the Housing
Association average rent costs overall. We will
continue to seek value for money in all that we do
to be able to maintain keeping our rents as some
of the very lowest in the Belfast area.
(*only applies to 7 homes)
Future Costs
We have a financial plan which covers the next
30 years. This may seem like a lifetime away but
to make sure we have enough money to pay
for everything, in the long term, it is essential
we have this plan in place. What we spend on
maintaining your home, sta dealing with rent
arrears and neighbour complaints are just some
examples of where your rent money goes.
In some years there will be lots of major repairs
planned and other years less so. 2022/23 is
one of them as we have listened to our tenants’
seeking upgrades and will bring many forward
into the programme. We plan to invest £384,800
in upgrades to homes. Our aim is to have a
manageable rent increase every year that aligns
with the costs forecast and not no increases
followed then by large “hikes” on the years
where there is increased expenditure required on
property maintenance. Putting money aside for
future repairs is sometimes known as a “sinking
fund”. This just means we are saving up to pay for
what needs to be done over the next 30 years.
What happens next?
If you have any comments on any of the above,
we would be happy to hear from you. You can
contact us by post or through email at housing@
groveha.org.uk.
We value your comments, and a summary of any
feedback tenants give us on the rent increase will
be provided to our Board of Management. They will
look at the feedback as well as items such as the
viability of the Association to provide the forecasted
works and other business factors each year in order
to make a future decision on rents for 2023/24.
We will write to you to directly to confirm your new
rent. Your Housing Ocer, Paul can assist with any
rent queries, particularly Universal Credit actions.
Helping our tenants where it matters most
The North Belfast Advice Partnership helped
36 tenants gain almost £154K back in benefits/
money in 2020/21 and have supported many
more this year. We also have made donations
to North Belfast Advice Partnership to support
persons directly with practical help.
Telephone: 028 9039 1225
Email: advice@ligonielvillage.com
https://twitter.com/nbapadvice/
Contact Details
Registered Oce
171 York Road,
Belfast,
BT15 3HB
Telephone
(028) 9077 3330
Out of Hours Repairs Line
0800 7313 081
E-mail
info@groveha.org.uk
Website
www.groveha.org.uk
facebook.com/grovecommunityhousing
twitter.com/housinggrove
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION