Durham Key Options

Karbon Homes’ Foundations for Life team provides 121 tailored support to customers and residents across North Durham to move them closer to, and into work. Support includes Employability, Digital, Wellbeing, Money Advice, English & Maths.

We have a dedicated team to provide wraparound support to help you achieve whatever your goals, and whatever your starting point.

We have a support fund to help break down financial barriers in your way, such as travel costs, DBS, uniform etc. We also have a digital device and data loan scheme to ensure you can stay connected whilst on your journey with us; we’ll even give you 121 support to teach you how to use it!

For more information, please click LINKCD Foundations for Life and CLLD Foundations for Life or get in touch now at foundations@karbonhomes.co.uk and follow us on Facebook Karbon Homes – Foundations for Life

A County Durham housing association is supporting a campaign to protect north east families from falling below the poverty line. 

believe housing, alongside a number of housing associations across the region, are joining in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s #KeeptheLifeline campaign urging the government to reconsider plans to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week. This would be the biggest reduction of basic social security rates since the start of the welfare state.

The Seaham based housing association is joining a day of action on Tuesday, 17 August to raise awareness of the Universal Credit cut and the massive impact this could have on the lives of thousands of residents in the north east and across the country.

Click here to view full article

A new online portal is set to make a series of day-to-day tasks easier for customers of one of the largest housing associations in the region. 

The web-based portal has been purpose-built to help believe housing customers carry out regular tasks like checking their rent balance from the comfort of their home.  Launched today, customers need only their tenancy number and personal details to make full use of the site. 

It is the latest digital innovation by believe housing following the pioneering use of self-help videos, video calls to help customers complete simple repairs, and the existing customer app for smartphone users.  

The new portal offers a more in-depth experience than an app, but shares much of the same user-friendly design. It offers the same functionality on PC, tablet and smartphone.  Other features allow customers to report issues in their neighbourhood and ask about support with finding a new job or accessing welfare benefits. 

believe housing Director of Technology and Digital Solutions, Colin Tempest, said: “More and more customers now choose to use digital methods of communication and that has only been accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic.  That’s why we’ve focused so much on developing new technology like this customer portal. 

“It’s been designed from the outset to make things as easy as possible for customers and will look familiar to anyone who has use our app, but the portal has many more in-depth features. 

“Introducing more digital technology, means that we also have more time for any of our customers who perhaps aren’t as confident doing things online too.” 

Earlier this year the County Durham-based housing association was recognised as one of the top-performing digital organisations in the sector by specialist outlet Housing Digital. 

For more information visit www.believehousing.co.uk  

A deadline is fast approaching for community groups to bid for up to £10,000 from a programme that has already distributed more than £150,000 to good causes across County Durham during the coronavirus pandemic.

believe housing’s successful community programme was expanded last month with a new grant opportunity for bigger projects.  The Large Community Grants fund is designed for schemes looking for between £5,000 and £10,000 and can be used with match funding.

The deadline for applications to the first round of the Large Community Grants fund is Wednesday, 28 July.

It has been created to tackle health and wellbeing issues, improve access to employability or training, increase household income, encourage a greener and fairer future, and tackle inequalities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.  Projects that could benefit include youth engagement activities, initiatives to promote better physical and mental wellbeing through arts and crafts, or family food and activity groups to tackle holiday hunger.  Proposals must meet at least one of the criteria.

The funding is available for revenue costs and covers all areas where believe housing provides homes. It is expected that at least 30% of the end beneficiaries of the funding will be believe housing customers. All projects must also be deliverable within current government coronavirus guidance.

Damian Pearson, Community Investment Performance Team Leader at believe housing, said: “We’ve had some really strong proposals so far, but we want to give all eligible groups the best chance to apply for funding.

“The £5,000 to £10,000 range should make this funding particularly useful for bigger projects looking to match fund their work. But I think it’s also going to be of great benefit to schemes that might be limited by requirements for capital elements in funding elsewhere.

“The deadline might be looming, but there’s still plenty of time to submit a project.  Whether it’s reducing food waste or training people in practical skills that could help them find a job, we’re keen to talk about the opportunities.”

An initial £30,000 has been allocated for the Large Community Grants fund. A further call for applications is planned later this year.  Full terms and conditions, together with application forms, are available on the believe housing website.

More information on all of believe housing’s grant funding opportunities is also available from the Community Investment Team on 0300 1311 999 or CommunityGrant@believehousing.co.uk

Councils to now give priority to finding accommodation for victims who are homeless due to domestic abuse.

From 5th July 2021 victims who are homeless due to domestic abuse will be prioritised for accommodation from their council.

Under the government’s landmark Domestic Abuse Act councils will have to find accommodation for people made homeless through domestic abuse, helping to ensure victims do not remain with their abuser for fear of not having a roof over their head.

Previously, victims had to be assessed as being ‘vulnerable’ as a result of domestic abuse to be identified as having a priority need.

Under the new legislation, domestic abuse will be a standalone reason to qualify as needing this support. Please click here to view the full article.