Supported housing has given many a fresh start.

Voices from our society, both young and old, say that supported housing has helped them live with independence, regain confidence and a sense of belonging. It continues to help them rebuild their lives.

‘Starts at Home’ is a campaign central to making these stories a reality - giving these voices a platform that brings real, effective change into the housing communities of today. And promises to build a better tomorrow, by bringing pressing policy issues to light.

On Friday the 30th of August, housing associations and their residents across the UK will come together to celebrate Starts at Home Day 2019. To remind the sector that people who need extra support will always have a safe home that meets their needs. 

In 2017, the campaign it raised awareness of a Government proposal to fund housing costs through an LHA (Local Housing Allowance) plus local top-up model.

In 2018, it made the sector aware of short-term services such as homeless hostels and refuges. And lobbied against Government’s proposals to fund short-term services separately to other types of supported housing.

This year, it will bring to light the recent ring-fence on support funding. There have been severe cuts in local authority spend on support - a reduction of 69% since 2010. This has had a far-reaching impact on supported housing providers. 

Reduced budgets means fewer bed spaces available, so more homelessness and rough-sleeping. For support staff it means static salaries, so it’s difficult to recruit the right talent to help those in desperate need. 

But Starts at Home has our support in changing this.

At Plentific, we use technology to harness the power of local communities. We believe the right support can make it possible for those who are homeless, disadvantaged or on benefits to rebuild their lives. And also support their local communities. 

Earlier this year, we partnered with Beam, a London-based social enterprise, to help homeless people build skills, improve their lives and work their way to home ownership. 

In our work with some of the UK’s leading most progressive associations, we have showcased the potential for a locally-driven repairs and maintenance initiative. 

We ensure the safety and stability of social housing residents - by providing them a first class repairs and maintenance service. The service itself is locally sourced using specialist tradesmen from these very communities. 

Working with Beam has allowed us to take this a step further. We are supporting people like Joe, Hussein, Max and many others - to attain the skills and accreditation necessary to become certified trade professionals. 

Our monthly contribution to Beam’s innovative platform allows us to continue investing in improving lives from the ground up and showcasing more success stories for ‘Starts at Home’ to tell. 

We wholeheartedly offer our support to this campaign and endeavour to do our part in raising further awareness of issues that need more support from our Government, local authorities and the public.

To know more about how you can support the ‘Starts at Home’ campaign, click here.

To know more about Beam and make a donation that could change someone’s life, click here.

Plentific is a digital platform that makes it possible for social housing providers to offer better services to tenants, while also lowering operational costs. Since 2013, it has been using technology, and leveraging community, to make housing work better for everyone. 

Download our brochure today, to find out how our technology has transformed management for operational teams on the front lines of housing. And enabled us to open big company contracts to local businesses, helping them grow and flourish.