Moneyline Cymru saves tenants thousands of pounds 

Every day in Wales, thousands of people turn to doorstep lenders for loans. It’s estimated that over 150,000 a year borrow from these lenders with another 15,000 falling prey to loansharks.

Housing associations are urging tenants not to borrow money from these high interest lenders who charge customers hundreds of pounds in interest - these are often the people who can least afford it.

So what’s the alternative? Backed and part funded by housing associations, Moneyline Cymru is a new initiative which offers affordable loans and financial advice to customers. Five pilot loan shops have opened in South Wales and staff at the Pontypridd outlet have been giving loans and financial advice to customers since it opened at the end of last year. 

For those who take out a loan with Moneyline Cymru, there is also the opportunity to save with a credit union whilst repaying the loan  – enabling the customer to borrow from the credit union at a lower rate of interest once they have repaid their original loan.

Across the five outlets, over 500 loans have been issued by Moneyline Cymru to date, bringing estimated savings for customers of over £250,000 in debt interest this year.

One customer, a housing association tenant said:  “I heard about Moneyline Cymru and at first thought it was a bank, I didn’t realise it was connected to my housing association. The staff were very friendly and helpful and gave me a loan of £500. I have used high interest lenders in the past and had recently taken out a loan with one of them. Staff suggested I pay off the high interest loan in order to save money and I am now only paying £10.80 a week to Moneyline Cymru, which is taken straight out of my bank account.  I put the money that was left over to some money that I had and bought a new sofa. By taking out the loan with Money line Cymru, I’m saving myself money every week.” 

Malcom Wilson, Resources Director at RCT homes said: “Housing Associations feel it’s important to be involved because financial exclusion and lack of affordable credit means that many tenants are forced to turn to high interest or even illegal lenders. By supporting a range of affordable alternatives we hope to prevent financial and social exclusion which can ultimately lead to homelessness.”

Non housing associations tenants can also borrow from Moneyline Cymru.

Moneyline Cymru, Pontypridd is located at 8 Ceridwen Terrace, Pontypridd. To book an appointment ring 01443 493009

Rhondda HA Scoops Prestigious UK Inside Housing Award

The association was awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Housing in Wales" accolade at the prestigious Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing UK Housing Awards.

Rhondda Housing Association’s ‘Together we Can’ project won them this award for their work within the Rhondda Cynon Taf communities, which has accessed external grants and used their own staff resources to allow local people to build their skills and improve their quality of life.

CIH Chief Executive, Sarah Webb, said: " I want to congratulate all the organisations who have reached the finals. Congratulations to Rhondda, their work is a true inspiration to all of us."

The award was presented at a ceremony at the Park Lane Hilton attended by English Minister for Housing and Planning John Healey MP.

RHONDDA HOUSING ASSOCIATION WINS BITC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Rhondda Housing Association’s commitment to its local community has seen it triumph at the annual Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for Excellence, becoming the second Welsh organisation ever to achieve this standard.

The award was presented to Rhondda Housing Association’s Chair, John Andrews, by HRH The Prince of Wales, President of BITC, at a garden party at his home, Clarence House.

RHA’s community programme Together We Can  reflects the wide range of work of all staff creating nine apprenticeships, engaging with 2,216 residents, training 424 and linking 131 of the most disadvantaged young people in the area with youth workers in the last 2 years alone.

Lesley Davies, Chief Executive, Rhondda Housing Association comments: “Strong communities are vital to quality of life, and we believe that the regeneration of communities is fundamental to sustainability in the long term.

“We are thrilled to have won this accolade and I’d like to thank all of those that were involved. None of our work would have been possible without the support and commitment of our tenants, funders and all of our staff.”

Claire Cooper, Director, Department for Communities and Local Government and Chair of Judges said: “This was a really excellent entry and showed how empowering communities can result in clear business benefits and how community regeneration can be integrated into an organisation with limited resources.  Rhondda Housing Association is to be applauded for their successful efforts to impact on all sections of their local area, resulting in active and engaged communities.”

Devco TEG 

Tenant Empowerment Grant project to involve tenants in delivering and monitoring the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS)

Introduction

The Devco tenant and staff Welsh Housing Quality Standard working group has been given a Tenant Empowerment Grant by the Welsh Assembly Government to work with tenants to develop a strategy to involve tenants in delivering and monitoring the WHQS.

Devco is a consortium formed by local housing associations who want to work together to develop and maintain good quality housing. Cynon Taf, Hafod, Merthyr and Rhondda Housing Associations are members of Devco.

The Welsh Housing Quality Standard is produced by the Welsh Assembly.  It sets out the things that housing associations and local authorities have to do to make sure that all homes in Wales are brought up to a good standard by 2012.

Tenant Empowerment Grants are grants provided by the Welsh Assembly Government to tenants’ organisations to enable them to employ an approved Tenant Empowerment Grant agent to help them to carry out a piece of work they have identified that needs doing.

Monica Keeble of Rowan Associates, independent consultants, will help the group carry out the work.

What the project is about

The aims of the project are to find out:

    What improvements are most important to tenants.

    How tenants would like any work carried out to their homes.

    Whether tenants would like to be involved in planning and checking work if so, how they would     like to be involved.

How the work will be carried out

Between September and December 2008 we will:

    Hold 8 discussion groups with tenants, 2 in each housing association.

    Talk to tenants on the telephone to gather their views.

    Send out e mail and postal questionnaires to those who are interested.

    Visit tenants groups in other organisations to see how they are involved.

    Carry out research to gather examples of practice from within DEVCO and from other       organisations.

Outcomes

The working group will develop an action plan setting out how tenants will be involved in delivering and monitoring the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.  The action plan will inform the revision of DEVCO’s WHQS strategy, to ensure that tenants’ views, priorities and preferences for involvement are included.