NPT Homes Looks Back at its Achievements Six Years on
NPT Homes has celebrated the sixth anniversary of the transfer of housing stock from the local authority.
Launched in 2011, the housing provider today manages and maintains over 9000 properties throughout Neath Port Talbot.
The past six years have been a busy one for the organisation with one of its main priorities being bringing its properties up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS). This programme has seen millions of pounds invested in tenants’ homes.
Improvements include over 7400 new kitchens, 6910 new bathrooms, 4535 rewires and 5499 new heating systems being fitted as part of the programme. NPT Homes has also carried out over 2200 roof replacements, 5400 window and door installations and has completed over 3000 external wall insulations and renders.
To measure the local economic impact the work has had, the organisation has carried out a Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) analysis of the WHQS programme. This analysis has shown that for every £1 spent in the Borough, £1.99 has been reinvested into the Welsh economy. It is noteworthy that the maximum multiplier figure that the tool produces is £2.
Prior to transfer in 2011, NPT Homes made 118 promises to its tenants. To date 107 promises have been met with the remaining 11 promises due for completion in 2017 when NPT Homes’ WHQS Programme is complete. One of these promises was to create local employment opportunities and as a result NPT Homes now employs over 500 people, 76% of whom live locally. In addition to this, the social landlord has also offered 80 work placements or apprenticeship opportunities over the past six years.
With support from its contractors, NPT Homes has completed almost 31 community regeneration projects which includes its Community Challenge and Community Development Fund. Almost £170,000 has been invested into the community through these projects.
NPT Homes continues to provide a range of services to support its tenants.
In addition, NPT Homes’ day-to-day repairs service has completed over 218,000 repairs since transfer and when surveyed, tenants rated the service an impressive 9 out of 10.
In the last 6 years its Financial Inclusion Team has received 8606 referrals, carried out 7434 home visits and 2520 advice surgery appointments; with 3102 of those becoming open benefit cases. These are cases where we have done work to improve tenants financial situation and maximise their income. This has resulted in £10,533,715.61 being raised in unclaimed benefits, grants awarded and savings made on utilities.
A new universal credit team, working in partnership with the Financial Inclusion Team has supported 124 tenants on Universal Credit, providing them with support and advice. A total of 51 foodbank vouchers have also been issued to help tenants get by.
The Financial Inclusion and Universal Credit teams together have supported 73 tenants with personal budgeting issues.
964 households have been supported through the Tenancy Support Team and its new intensive housing management service has helped 79 households to sustain their tenancies.
NPT Homes’ Chief Executive, Linda Whittaker, said:
“Six years on and we are making fantastic progress. Our WHQS improvements programme is in its final stages and we have fulfilled 91% of the promises we made to tenants pre-transfer, with the rest due for completion soon.
We are committed to providing desirable homes and a great service to our tenants and I am pleased that we are providing very high levels of satisfaction for our customers.
The coming year is set to be a landmark one for NPT Homes with many exciting developments and challenges to come. We have a dedicated team of professionals who are committed to delivering an outstanding service to our tenants, ensuring that they are at the heart of everything we do.”
