Housing associations across London have grasped the opportunity presented by the COVID-19 lockdown to make ‘quantum leaps’ in the way they work with their residents and other stakeholders using digital and other means.

That was the key take-away from an NLA Think Tank held this week which sought to find out the main issues they faced during the pandemic and how they have worked to overcome them.

Shaw was referring to how Octavia had taken to new communications systems and shown flexibility across the organisation, reaching out by phone to everybody on its lists aged over 70 to do welfare checks and becoming ‘much more connected’ to residents and each other, something which is backed up by internal research. ‘There’s been tonnes of innovation and people have responded to it really well’, she added, referring to things like video viewings resulting in fewer ‘wasted journeys’.

Swan neighbourhood services director Ian Haworth had a similar story, saying the impact of lockdown had been ‘quite drastic’ and resulted in extra work on those claiming benefits and lettings having had a big impact initially – before the ‘floodgates’ opened. But where Swan had struggled with meeting residents beforehand there were now positive results. ‘We actually connected to a lot more people and these new methods have actually meant that people have been coming forward to be involved in different ways’. 

Other contributors included Lajaune Lincoln, Head of Young People and Community Services, Peabody, who talked about its new resident wellbeing programme and the importance of mental wellbeing in these times, food delivery services, volunteering and innovation in online services.

 Sahil Khan, Director of Community Investment, Catalyst Housing Group said it was ‘a bit of a shock’ when the organisation had had to pause over 100 projects within the space of a week and explore different ways of working. But the group moved customer engagement to phone and online and recommenced things like fire safety works once secure measures were put in place, helped by an ex-military staff member helping on efficiency. Again, though, connections with residents were helped by instigating new systems in reaching out to them and building trust.

Yasin Ahmed, Resident Engagement Manager, One Housing said his organisation too had been swift to move to agile working, but that one of the key issues to arise recently was anti-social behaviour. The organisation has reached out to 7000 people over welfare checks, handed out food packages and has experienced a distinct ‘coming-together’ of the community, despite community facilities across the group facing financial challenges over closures. ‘We recognise partnership working and that’s what we will build on in the future’.

Finally, Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities, Clarion Housing Group said that reaching out to residents had been a beneficial situation for all concerned. ‘Having a call with someone to say I’m your landlord, just checking in with you, how are you for them was a really big thing’, he said. ‘We’re trying to work out how to make the most of that in the future. I can’t promise but I think it may well change the way we operate and approach engagement with people. You have got to take the positives.’