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Chester & District Housing Trust

Helping those at risk of homelessness

The New Year can be filled with uncertain futures for those faced with the prospect of becoming homeless. Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) provide a first point of contact for anyone who is in urgent need of housing or faced with homelessness. Working closely with and on behalf of Chester City Council, last year CDHT helped to prevent more than 220 families becoming homeless through support and early assistance.

Those faced with having no home come from a vast array of backgrounds, often with complex and multiple needs and differing reasons for the circumstances in which they find themselves. CDHT works hard to provide a solution which meets the needs of each individual and works closely with a network of specialist support and advice providers.

Last year was a tremendous year for improvement in service delivery at CDHT. In addition to the Housing Options Team, Chester HomeChoice was launched by CDHT in a joint partnership with Chester City Council. For the first time ever, customers throughout Chester can access available homes through a new, open and transparent service. Chester HomeChoice, the new lettings service is now 12 months old and boasts more than 6,000 members with more than 500 new customers having moved into their new home since launch.

Christine Quinlan, chief housing officer for Chester City Council, said:

“We are very proud of the strong relationship between Chester City Council and Chester and District Housing Trust’s Customer and Housing Access Team. We have witnessed a transformation in the way all our customers are able to access social housing and gain the information and support they need when faced with housing problems.”

Dave Shaw, Executive Manager Customer & Housing Access, outlines big plans in the coming year:

“We aim to build on the success over the last 12 months and to provide one point of contact for all social housing in Chester & District, working closely with other partner housing providers. As the largest provider of affordable housing in Chester, we are committed to helping those customers who are faced with crisis situations and need specialist one to one assistance.”

Robert Bisset, Chief Executive of Chester Aid to the Homeless (CATH) said:

“CDHT works closely with CATH clients to help individuals move out of hostel accommodation. The Trust’s Housing Options Team provides great one-to-one support and advice to customers and offers solutions to housing issues tailored to the customers’ needs.”

Over the last 12 months, initiatives implemented by CDHT which have been successful in preventing homelessness include the provision of a free mediation service tailored for young people at risk of losing accommodation, a new focus on early intervention into crisis situations to resolve any incidence of homelessness and the provision of a team who help find quality and affordable private rented accommodation for those at greatest risk of homelessness. The Trust have also started to work closely with private landlords and have successfully housed 37 families into quality affordable private rented housing since the introduction of the Rent Deposit Scheme in April 2007. The target was 30 by April 2008.

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Background information: Statistics released by the Department of Communities and Local Government in September 2007 show that new cases of homelessness in Chester have fallen by 50% per cent in comparison to the same period last year, as against a reduction of 23% for the North West and a 15% reduction for the whole of England. The figures also show a continued reduction of households in temporary accommodation. In Chester there was a reduction of almost 19% compared to the same time last year against a regional reduction of 6% and a national reduction of 11%

Notes to Editors:

Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) was created in November 2000 to acquire the housing stock of Chester District Council and now owns and manages over 6,200 properties in and around Chester, employing 275 staff. The Trust’s homes fall in to six neighbourhoods – Blacon North; Blacon South; Chester City Area; The Rurals; Lache and Handbridge; Upton, Hoole, Newton and Plas Newton.

CDHT provides a range of services to tenants and residents in Chester and surrounding areas. These include ChesterCare, a community alarm service for CDHT tenants, other association tenants and private customers and also the specially designated Community Intervention Budget. This improves facilities and allows changes which are felt buy tenants to be vital to their community. CDHT also manages the housing waiting list and homelessness agency service on behalf of Chester City Council.

Current projects for CDHT include the £12million regeneration of the Treborth Road area of Chester, to include 200 new homes for rent, sale and shared ownership, as well as a village green and wildlife habitats.

For more details please visit www.cdht.net

Press Contact: Phil Brotherhood E: phil@marketingprojects.co.uk M: 07884 493370 T: 01244 330000 W: www.marketingprojects.co.uk also www.ziggurat.co.uk

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