Tenants, Sharing Owners and Factored Customers. Your Questions Answered. Dunedin Canmore and Wheatley Partnership Consultation

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1 Dunedin Canmore and Wheatley Partnership Consultation Tenants, Sharing Owners and Factored Customers Your Questions Answered Leaders in Building Communities where People Choose to Live

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3 Dunedin Canmore Tenants, Sharing Owners and Factored Owners You asked us for more information about our proposed partnership with the Wheatley Group. We've answered your most frequently asked questions below. Will my rent or service charges increase as a result of the proposed partnership with the Wheatley Housing Group? Your rents will not increase as a direct result of the partnership and the savings we will make by working in partnership will help us keep rents affordable in the future, hopefully reducing the need for larger increases. Will I get help with my rent if I become unemployed? Your entitlement to benefits will not be affected in any way by the partnership proposal. You will be able to access Dunedin Canmore s Welfare Rights, Money Advice who will continue to help you make sure you get all the benefits you are entitled to and manage any debts. You ll also get access to fuel advisors to help you save money on your fuel bills and low cost home insurance to help your money stretch further. Will Dunedin Canmore tenants be able to swap homes with other tenants in the Wheatley Group? We are happy to look at the possibility of tenants swapping between Dunedin Canmore and GHA or other housing associations in the Wheatley Group. If you are interested in Wheatley Group homes and how they are allocated please have a look on our www site Will the partnership make it easier for me to get another house? Dunedin Canmore will continue to be your landlord and the way we allocate homes will be the same, but the potential size of the Wheatley Group presents other opportunities for tenants seeking moves to other parts of the country Will I get the opportunity to buy my home? Only certain categories of Dunedin Canmore tenants have the right to buy their homes currently and this will continue to be the case. choices housing, living, working 1

4 I m a Sharing owner. Will this change affect my rights to traunch up or eventually buy my home? The simple answer is no. The proposed partnership arrangements with the Wheatley Group do not in any way affect the arrangements which Sharing Owners currently enjoy. Tell me more about the Wheatley Group? The Wheatley Housing Group is a housing group made up of: GHA with 43,000 homes for social rent Cube Housing Association with 3,300 homes for social rent and 1,200 homeowners YourPlace Property Management, Scotland s Feel Good Factor, with 24,000 factored homeowners Lowther Homes with 324 full and mid-market homes to rent from Glasgow s West End to Leith. Like Dunedin Canmore, Wheatley and the housing associations in the group are regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator and are committed to delivering excellent services to tenants. Will the partnership address issues like anti-social behaviour? Both Wheatley and Dunedin Canmore have extensive experience in addressing antisocial behaviour in our neighbourhoods. Our partnership will allow us to pool our experience and resources where it makes sense for the benefit of tenants and your communities. How will this affect our repairs service? Initially the repairs service will remain as it is although we hope over time to improve this service through sharing expertise and experience with GHA, Cube and other housing associations in the Wheatley Group and by combining our buying power. Will this affect the services I already receive from Dunedin Canmore? The partnership is all about improving and expanding services. If you have any concerns or questions about the services you currently receive please get in touch with us by calling ( ). We explain below more about the additional services you will receive as a result of the partnership. choices housing, living, working 2

5 How will tenants benefit from the proposed partnership with the Wheatley Group? Tenants will benefit from Dunedin Canmore s improved financial strength as a result of being part of the Wheatley Group. Benefits for Dunedin Canmore s tenants will also include access to a wide range of services currently available to tenants in the Wheatley Group including: a free handyperson service for tenants who are vulnerable or over 60 the ability to contact Dunedin Canmore 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through Wheatley s Customer Service Centre Will there be increased investment in my home as a result of partnership? A key reason for the partnership is to improve Dunedin Canmore s financial position, ensuring it remains a strong and successful landlord in the long-term. Achieving this will allow Dunedin Canmore to invest in its homes so they meet tenants needs now and in the future. We will continue to develop and talk to you about improvement plans before any planned work. What will really change as a result of the planned partnership? At one level very little Dunedin Canmore will continue to be your landlord and will remain responsible for providing the services that tenants and sharing owners enjoy today. However, partnership will make Dunedin Canmore stronger for the future through allowing us to share costs and expertise with Wheatley. Will the partnership save money? By sharing some of our services and buying power across the Group the partnership will allow us to make savings which we will use to benefit tenants. Dunedin Canmore s committee will continue to set and monitor budgets to ensure resources are used wisely. How will this affect factored owners and the services they receive? You will continue to be factored by Dunedin Canmore Property Management; there will be no changes to your service as a result of the partnership. YourPlace Property Management, one of Scotland s leading factors, is a member of the Wheatley Group. Through the partnership we will learn from each other as we continue to improve our services and what we can offer all factored owners in the group. choices housing, living, working 3

6 Will the Wheatley Group take over Dunedin Canmore or have any input in how Dunedin Canmore is run? Dunedin Canmore will remain as a separate and autonomous housing association with its own committee and will continue to be regulated and monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator. Dunedin Canmore will be a subsidiary in the Wheatley Group in exactly the same was as GHA and the other housing associations in the group. Wheatley, as the parent in the group would have some say in how Dunedin Canmore s operates through being involved in setting its strategic priorities. However day-to-day operations would continue to be Dunedin Canmore s responsibility. How will Dunedin Canmore s staff be affected by the partnership? Staff will benefit from Wheatley s improved financial position and there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of partnership. Have we looked into all the benefits and risks of this partnership and understand what is involved? Yes, our staff and Committee has been involved at every step of the way ensuring the proposed partnership meets their requirements for ensuring the long-term financial stability of Dunedin Canmore and its ability to deliver the services you and our communities want. What are the steps towards partnership and how will you keep tenants informed? Dunedin Canmore s Committee will consider the partnership business plan and feedback from tenants on the proposal later this year. After that if the business plan is approved, Dunedin Canmore members will be asked to vote on the partnership in late summer / early autumn at a special general meeting. The Scottish Housing Regulator will be asked to formally approve the partnership. We will keep tenants informed of progress through newsletters. Please speak to your housing officer if you have any specific concerns about your tenancy or want to know more about what the benefits could be for you. Some tenants asked us questions about their individual tenancies. Please contact us on to discuss any issues. Would you like more information? choices housing, living, working 4

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