Prime Minister recognises Association's commitment

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Nottingham today to support the launch of the new Family Intervention Project (FIP) Housing Challenge Fund. As a longstanding supporter and active partner in FIP schemes across the East Midlands, Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) was invited to attend the launch event and meet the Prime Minister and other senior members of the Cabinet.

Over the last two years, NCHA has supported eight successful FIPs across Nottingham, Mansfield and Leicester. When the Nottingham FIP initiative was originally set up in 2006, NCHA were the only social landlords involved and the Association's continued support and success was recognised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown today when he met Geoff Pittham, NCHA's Senior Anti-Social Behaviour Officer.

Geoff commented:
"Every landlord has anti-social tenants, but we have decided to tackle them with something positive rather than just evicting them. And everyone wins - the former neighbours now live in peace, and the families involved have, sometimes for the first time in their lives, help and support to give up their anti-social behaviour".

Family Intervention Projects work with the most challenging families to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour, family problems or the threat of eviction, through an intensive programme co-ordinated by key workers accompanied by multi-agency support.

The £15m Housing Challenge Fund is a national joint initiative between central government, social landlords and Children's Services to expand the current provision of FIPs for tenants of social housing providers. NCHA plans to continue developing its FIP initiatives in partnership with Nottingham FIP headed by Paul Martin, Nottingham Family Intervention Co-ordinator, and other local authorities across the East Midlands.