News from our partners: STAR Housing shortlisted for UK Housing’s Innovative Landlord of the Year Award

News from our partners Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing (STAR Housing)

STAR Housing have been shortlisted for UK Housing’s Innovative Landlord of the Year Award as part of the SUSTAIN Consortium. SUSTAIN has provided Shropshire with the first holistic, affordable housing support system in the UK.

SUSTAIN is a housing support consortium made up of three main partners; Housing Plus Group, Connexus and STAR Housing, and their Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners. It was established in 2012, seeking multi-disciplinary collaborations with agencies such as doctors and schools to be able to identify where housing support is necessary as well as carry out every day housing support in individual areas.

For the first time in social housing three of the largest housing stockholders and their VCSE partners came together to provide countywide housing support to the 15,000 tenants they represent. The idea was based on a single, revolutionary concept, which was ‘It’s better to collaborate than compete’.

SUSTAIN wanted to provide a local, tailor-made service for Shropshire, rather than become a one size fits all national support system. The consortium received monies from ‘Supporting People’ and immediately got to work. The housing support SUSTAIN provides helps tenants by running and supporting job clubs around the county to help assist them get back into work and realise their potential. It also benefits public services such as the NHS by tackling issues such as loneliness and suicidal thoughts. SUSTAIN have helped over 3,000 tenants and reduced their likeliness of an unexpected admission by 95%.

These unprecedented results have been achieved by partnership working and staff across SUSTAIN being ambassadors for their communities using the various landlord hubs. The hubs offer advice on how to live independently for longer – from seeking adaptations to existing homes, deciding to downsize to a suitable home, securing a care package and personal budgets, digital inclusion, self-help and advice for long-term conditions and social activities to reduce isolation.

Sue Adams, Managing Director of STAR Housing, had this to say:-

“We are absolutely delighted to be recognised for our delivery of excellent Shropshire support services to the most vulnerable in our community. We focus on working together as locally-based Shropshire housing providers working with other Voluntary and Community services.  Using a Supporting People grant funding award from Shropshire Council, and a range of partnership resources, we make this funding go a long way and the outcomes that we deliver are exceptional.”

The entire consortium are very proud to be shortlisted for this prestigious award for the groundbreaking housing support they provide. The awards evening will be held on Wednesday 1 May 2019 at The Grosvenor in London.

STAR Housing is an Arms-Length Management Organisation (ALMO) that manages housing stock on behalf of Shropshire Council. For more information you can visit our website at www.starhousing.org.uk or email us at enquiries@starhousing.org.uk.