Accommodation

Aims for the Service

• To provide a quality service through continual monitoring and review
• Partnership working
• to maximise our resources to benefit as many people as possible
• to prevent any unnecessary evictions or rent arrears accruing as a result of coping difficulties

What will Imagines Housing Management Department do?

• assist housing officers in signing Deeds of Variation
• complete the applications for funding
• assistance in dealing with/reducing arrears
• assistance in dealing with neighbour disputes
• assistance in accessing properties for necessary maintence work
• assistance in encouraging tenant participation
• assistance in dealing with the Vulnerable Tenants Register

What will Imagines Housing Management Department offer tenants?

• advice on tenancy changes, including: increase in service charges, Deed of Variation, Exit Routes
• assistance with housing benefit forms and housing management issues
• advice on payments
• assistance in dealing with Housing Benefit/Council Tax benefit departments

What Imagine expects from Registered Social Landlords

• to initially meet Imagine to clarify each agencies expectations
• to meet regularly to develop the mechanisms for referring, monitoring and monitoring the service
• to update Imagine regularly on tenant issues

Benefit Requirements:

• Income Support/JSA/Full Housing Benefit - will NOT have to pay for the service
• DLA/Attendance/Incapacity - will CONTINUE to pay a small contribution

Funding Requirements

• funding is accessed through Supporting People Grants
• funding for support is granted by the Government - DTLR
• funding for Imagines housing management role is granted by housing benefit
• the support funding is paid directly to Imagine
• Imagines housing management funding will be paid to RSLs, who in turn will pay Imagine

What is Transitional Housing Benefit?

• Transitional Housing Benefit widens the remit of housing benefit until the implementation of Supporting People funding in 2003
• It introduces an additional category of eligible service known as General Counselling and Support

What is Supporting People?

• a new funding stream which offers vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life through greater independence, whilst remaining in their own home

Working Torwards Funding

Imagine will:

• liase with Supporting Peoples Teams and update them on the progress and estimated cost
• consult with the principal person from HAT about start up costs and office space
• consult with RSLs to see it there is any Supported Housing Management Grant funding available for start costs