The Community Connect Strategy 2017-2021 guides Unity Housing‘s role in assisting our tenants in responding to, and managing, the many challenges they face and ensuring we are well-placed to provide this assistance. This strategy has been prepared at a time of considerable growth and change for the organisation, and is one more example of Unity Housing being responsive to the challenges we face.
The Community Connect Strategy identifies the various ways that we can best respond to the changing needs of our tenants and contribute to improving their lives. Unity Housing has established the following four streams of work to guide us over the next four years. These are:
- Community Engagement and Participation Framework
- Community Development Projects
- Employment and Learning
- Placemaking
With Unity Housing focusing on these priorities, we believe that our existing and future tenants will be well-placed to become active citizens in the communities in which they live. This document also highlights the role that we have as a social landlord. Being a social landlord involves much more than just providing an affordable house or a bed to sleep in; social landlords have a crucial role to play in promoting social inclusion and addressing barriers to accessible, safe and secure housing.
Social landlords need to embrace a philosophy that ensures all actions and tenancy management decisions promote social inclusion and the independence, preferences and individuality of people living in our properties.
To ensure tenants receive the support necessary to sustain their tenancies, Unity Housing has also continued to develop close working relationships with support providers. The quality services provided by our support partners ensure the best possible outcomes, as we work together to respond to the needs of our tenants.
Through the Community Connect strategy and its companion document, the Community Connect Delivery Plan, we will make a difference by helping children get a better start in life; by supporting young people starting out on their career journey; by helping those on low wages having difficulty making ends meet; by supporting the large number of people in our community experiencing mental health problems to regain hope; and ensuring older people are able to feel safe in worry-free housing.