Gloucester City Homes has reduced its arrears by £66,000 since lockdown, following a change in approach and using Mobysoft’s RentSense.
Becky Hayward, income collection and tenancy sustainment manager, Gloucester City Homes, said, “We stopped all enforcement at the start of the first lockdown. We wanted to speak to every tenant first to understand what they needed and what we could do to help with their situation.”
Within the housing provider’s income department, all standard enforcement and escalation letters have been suspended for the moment, with only personalised letters sent to specific tenants relating to their own circumstances.
Hayward said, “The personal approach has been critical. Our tenants have responded really well – whereas before they might have avoided us or ignored their financial situation, many have got in touch and spoken to us.
“Mobysoft’s RentSense software has enabled our income team do preventative work as well as manage their arrears cases, particularly with those tenants at risk of going into arrears or transferring from housing benefit to universal credit. As a result, our arrears have fallen from 2.4 per cent in March 2019 to 1.9 per cent in March 2020.”
