30.07.12
Housing association investments help millions
A report by the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows that eight million people have benefited due to housing association investment totalling over half a billion pounds.
The NHF’s new report, Building Futures, shows that during 2010/11, housing associations invested over £73m in learning and skills and £80m helping people find work. £16m of investment focused on helping people beat fuel poverty, £74m on projects for health and wellbeing and £75m on improving green spaces. £100m was invested to create safer, stronger communities.
Housing associations delivered and provided maintenance for over 9,000 neighbourhood services and 1,500 community spaces. Associations’ investments totalled £747m, made up of £530m of their own money and £217m raised additionally from other organisations.
David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, praised the findings of the report and also stressed the role of cooperation present in the housing associations’ investments: “Housing associations work together with national and local government, charities and health agencies. And for every two pounds of their own money, housing associations attract a further one pound of investment in community services from other organisations.”
Orr also characterised the investments as “hand-ups” rather than “hand-outs”, declaring that housing associations “are model social enterprises, ploughing any extra cash they make straight back into the communities they serve”.
He went on to say: “Every year they help millions of people by giving them the support to change their lives forever. They get people back to work with apprenticeships and skills training, encourage them to play an active role in their community and create places where they want to live.”
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