In early 2023, Resonance and Notting Hill Genesis (NHG)– one of the largest housing associations in the country – announced a new partnership. This will see NHG taking over the management of almost 600 Resonance properties over the next year or so. So far, almost 400 homes, where families are already living as tenants, have been transferred to NHG, with the remainder due to be transferred by summer 2024. In addition, Resonance will also be purchasing and refurbishing additional homes to transfer into NHG’s growing portfolio, as part of Resonance’s National Homelessness Property Fund 2.

While these homes will be a vital lifeline for many families who wouldn’t otherwise have a home, support will go beyond bricks and mortar. NHG will be working with tenants to sustain their tenancy and make positive plans in other areas of their lives, such as tackling mental health and addiction issues, and finding employment, training and education. And because the tenancies granted by the fund are longer than traditionally offered in the private rented sector, tenants benefit from this stability, are able put down roots in their community and plan for their future goals.

With the property transfer process well under way, we caught up with Rebecca Brennan, NHG’s Assistant Director of Temporary Housing. In our Q&A, Rebecca explains why NHG partnered with Resonance, how the transfer is going, its impact on tenants, the ongoing housing need in London and her hopes for tackling this housing crisis.

Q: Hi Rebecca, can you tell us a little about your background, journey in the homelessness sector and your role at Notting Hill Genesis?

Rebecca: I’ve been working to provide temporary housing for twenty-one years – a very long time!  I never set out to work in housing, in fact its not even I sector I had considered. I studied science at university and intended to put my degree to use in the scientific research field. After leaving university I needed some funds quickly so took an administration role at a housing association, thinking it would be a short-term solution until I found a research job. I very quickly found I loved working in housing and helping to provide much needed homes, particularly for families.

Twenty-one years later and I am now assistant director of temporary housing.  My role is to ensure we keep a consistent supply of homes to use for temporary accommodation, whether that is keeping those we already have or adding new homes.  I am also responsible for working with my director and the senior management team to make sure the homes we offer residents are of a high standard and that we are delivering great services for our residents.

Q: So, can you explain why Notting Hill Genesis partnered with Resonance/NHPF2?

Rebecca: We are always looking for like minded partners who can help us increase the number of homes we can make available for those at risk of homelessness. Resonance share our values and social purpose – we are both committed to providing quality, sustainable housing to those who need it.  Resonance are a professional, socially minded landlord keen to help improve the lives of those they house and so were an obvious partner.

Q: And can you explain what this partnership is initially focused on delivering?

Rebecca: We have been focusing on transferring properties in to us, from another housing partner. The majority of these properties have had residents living in them when they transfer. The process has taken place in batches to allow us to review health and safety, understand the needs of the residents and ensure we can maintain good quality homes for the residents. We’ve made sure we make any amendments to our process after each batch of transfers to streamline process and address any challenges which occurred with the latest transfer. 

Q: How was this experience for tenants?  

Rebecca: Change can be unsettling for residents and so we have ensured we’ve provided opportunities for them to engage and ask questions. We set up online sessions for residents to ask questions and have provided different channels; inboxes and named contacts to raise any concerns. Once they transferred to us, we have made sure we quickly arrange an in-person home visit with one of our housing officers. This has given us an opportunity to talk with our new residents and respond directly to any issues, concerns or repairs they have. We’ve had lots of positive feedback from our new residents.

Q: It would be good to understand a bit about the wider context, for example the housing/homelessness situation in London? How have you seen that change over the last decade?

Rebecca: Homelessness in London is on the rise. The private rented sector is in demand, with approximately nineteen viewings for every available home to rent. Rents are soaring as demand continues to increase, making the private rented sector a very difficult place for those on lower incomes, or those with a poor credit history or vulnerabilities. For those already in a rented home, many are receiving significant rent increases from landlords, as landlords either increase rents to cover rising mortgage costs or to reflect current market rates. When a rent increase becomes unaffordable or people are unable to find affordable private rented accommodation, they are left with little choice other than to approach their local authority to help find housing. Demand from local authorities is the highest I have seen in the last decade, but it is increasingly difficult to find accommodation to use as temporary housing to meet the demand. 

Q: And what are the challenges of temporary housing in London today? The impact of temporary housing on people?

Rebecca: The demand for accommodation in London far outstrips supply. A decreasing number of properties available in the private rented sector together with buoyant rental levels means that it is increasingly difficult to find and secure accommodation at a level that would be affordable for our residents. This means that people who need temporary accommodation are having to consider moving away from the places they live, from support networks and schools.

Q: On the flipside, what difference does having a decent and safe home mean for someone who has been experiencing homelessness?

Rebecca: Having a home, a base for you and your family, especially when you may previously have been living in a hotel or just not knowing where you will be living, is so important. Once settled in residents have the opportunity to build networks and friendships. Where there are children, they can settle at school. Residents have the space to begin to live fully and make a home. 

Q: In terms of the people being housed by this fund and this partnership, what might their typical experiences have been prior to being provided with a decent place to call home?  

Rebecca: Many of our residents will have had a difficult time prior to being housed through this partnership. They have may experienced a relationship or family break down, have fled from domestic violence or been evicted from their privately rented home by their landlord, most often as a result of an unaffordable rent increase. Some residents may also come to homes provided by this fund directly from hotels, hostels or B&B’s, very often outside of the area they live, where they were placed until suitable self-contained temporary accommodation became available.

Q: And so how do you determine a tenants’ needs? And what sort of support services do you provide or signpost tenants to?

Rebecca: We make sure we meet all our residents in person when they move in (or transfer to us) and then carry out a home visit and least three times a year. This gives us an opportunity to talk with them about any support they may need, discuss any concerns we have or talk about any vulnerabilities we identify. We will signpost to relevant support services and work closely with local authorities to help get residents the support they need.

Q: How do you support tenants to become independent? Feel empowered?

Rebecca:  We aim to increase our resident’s independence and our aspirations for them include opportunity to move on from temporary accommodation. We encourage our residents to increase their financial stability and work with external partners who can support with financial, budgeting and debt advice. We are also working on developing our access to partners who can support with employment opportunities and career progression. We have employed a moves officer who works with residents to understand their housing aspirations and develop individual personalised plans for residents to help support this.

Q: What are some of the challenges tenants might be facing or experience?

Rebecca: Many residents find the uncertainty of living in temporary accommodation challenging. For families especially, the prospect of not knowing how long you will be living in your current home and the possibility of having to move away from local connections is difficult. Many residents are also finding the cost-of-living crisis difficult with heating their homes is increasingly challenging. We have a range of advice and support partners who we signpost our residents to for advice and help.

Q: What has your experience of working with Resonance been like so far?

Rebecca: It’s been great to work with people who share the same values and are socially minded, wanting to make a difference through providing a safe, comfortable home. As with any transfer there have been challenges but we have found Resonance to be supportive partners; willing to have a discussion and negotiate to reach a resolution.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Rebecca: Sometimes, caught up in all the activities of the day it’s easy to forget what we are really doing – we provide homes for people who otherwise would be homeless. That is what I find most rewarding, knowing that we really have made a difference in somebody’s life. I love hearing stories from the team about our residents and what the homes we offer mean to them. It makes any challenges or difficult days worthwhile.

Q: What are your hopes for the future regarding the current housing crisis? What solutions might there be?

Rebecca: I hope we are able to stem the tide of people having to move into temporary accommodation, that we can find a way to make rented accommodation in London more affordable so that people have alternatives and are not having to look to their local authority to find them housing. Increasing the local housing allowance is a start and will go some way towards helping this. 

I would also love to see a significant increase in the amount of new social rented housing available, meaning those currently in temporary accommodation and move on and make that temporary housing available for a new household who are in need. 

About National Homelessness Property Fund 2

NHPF2 purchases properties in the heart of local communities, chosen with the fund’s expert housing partners. Properties are refurbished to a high standard including improving their energy efficiency and once refurbished, they are handed over to housing partners to manage tenancies and support tenants.

Stable homes allow tenants to transition from homelessness to becoming part of their community, gaining employment or training, saving for their future and giving them the ability to eventually move on into their own private accommodation.

The fund is currently working with twelve expert housing partners across the UK and is housing over 120 people in over eighty properties, with around 300 properties in its portfolio so far. It has ambition to scale and to purchase around 1,500 homes to provide decent and affordable homes for 16,000 people over the it’s lifetime.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NATIONAL HOMELESSNESS PROPERTY FUND 2 HERE.