Eleven housing organisations in the south west have come together to form lobby group South West Housing Association Influence and Leadership Organisation (HAILO).
HAILO is a distinct voice for regional housing organisations, complementary to other bodies such as the National Housing Federation and the South West Housing Initiative. It enables organisations with strong regional profiles to collaborate on shared agendas, contributing knowledge, expertise and resources.
The member organisations own and build homes across the region and collectively have a turnover of £900m, with 201,000 homes in management and 13,200 new homes in development to 2015.
The members of HAILO are:
Welfare reform and work – a study commissioned by HAILO from LSE
In 2013, HAILO commissioned Professor Anne Power and her team at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to conduct an 18 month longitudinal study looking at how the government’s welfare reform programme will influence tenants’ work opportunities throughout the south west region.
This first project is entitled: Welfare reform and work – evaluating the impact on affordable housing tenants in the south west.
The project looks at a range of issues, including:
- How welfare reform is influencing residents’ choices
- The consequences on residents who are in work, seeking work or workless
- The costs and benefits of working or not working
- What ‘success’ and ‘failure’ mean in individual lives and for social landlords
- How social landlords in the region respond
- The wider implications of the reforms for inequality and people’s sense of fairness
This interim baseline report outlines the findings of the first stage of the project, providing a snapshot of tenants’ circumstances at the beginning of welfare reform. The final report will be published in the autumn of 2014.
To view the baseline report please Work and Welfare Reform
To read the press release, click here
To find out more about the research project contact marketing@yhg.co.uk
About the research project
HAILO’S first major project is the commission of renowned housing expert Professor Anne Power and her team at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to conduct an 18 month longitudinal study looking at how the government’s welfare reform programme will influence tenants’ work opportunities throughout the south west.
Recent welfare reforms are intended to encourage benefit-dependent households to become more self-reliant, find and hold down work and take up training opportunities. HAILO has commissioned this research to look at whether the government’s policies are delivering the expected outcomes, and what we as affordable landlords can do to support our residents.
The research will provide HAILO members with independent and respected empirical evidence of what’s working and what is not. This will enable HAILO to demonstrate to Government the adjustments needed in order to ensure that reforms truly lead to fulfilling employment for those who can work, while providing a fairer system for those who can’t.
About HAILO
As well as homes for rent, HAILO members build homes for shared ownership, market rent and sale; over the next three years, HAILO members will build around 30% of all new homes in the South West. The ratio of private finance to public sector investment in this building programme will be 6:1; collectively HAILO members will be making a capital investment of £1.7billion in the region and directly generating 20,000 new jobs through development activity.
HAILO is developing relationships with central government, LEPs, local authorities, housing bodies and mortgage lenders to raise the profile of a range of key issues. These include the economic case for future housing provision, investing in new affordable homes, the impact of welfare reform and the impact of housing organisations on health and well-being.