With the recession forcing a number of families to struggle, housing associations are becoming more emotionally involved with tenants’ personal lives.
Chief Executive of Octavia Housing, Grahame Hindes recently penned an article for The Guardian outlining how his association is trying to help with youth employment.
Hindes’ articles begins by saying: “Housing associations are about much more than just bricks and mortar. Most housing providers have much wider social agendas, offering services which help to build stronger communities: support for the elderly and vulnerable individuals; finance and debt advice; and, in these tough economic times, training and employment services.”[1]
Housing Association Helps with Youth Unemployment
Protection
Across the UK, landlords are constantly looking for measures to protect both themselves and their tenants from the pitfalls of the recession. Landlords are taking out rental insurance to avoid the backlash of rent arrears. Some landlords offer a sympathetic ear to listen to tenants’ troubles.
Hindes suggests that to overcome problems and be sufficiently protected, tenants and landlords must work together. Octavia Housing has create four apprenticeship schemes for younger tenants, with the goal of making their “lives, noble, homes happy and family life good.”[2]
The four apprenticeship schemes aim to teach younger tenants on charity administration, care and support, electrical engineering and charity retail. It is hoped that skills acquired through the apprenticeship schemes will benefit the housing association sector in the future.
Courses
In order to become accredited on the scheme, tenants will have to attend college. All youngsters taking part will be assigned a mentor from Octavia Housing to give them support and to assist them to settle in.
Talking about the courses, Hindes expressed his belief that “the benefits of these apprenticeships will extend beyond the young adults chosen for the scheme.” He believes that through the apprenticeships, young people will “improve their job hunting skills and increase their awareness of the housing association as a source of advice and support.”[2]
Furthermore, Hindes hopes that the scheme “will start the working careers of many more of our young tenants.”[2]
[1] http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2013/jan/21/octavia-housing-apprenticeship-scheme
[2] http://www.justlandlords.co.uk/news/Housing-Association-tries-to-help-with-Youth-Unemployment-1598.html