LMH shortlisted for top housing award

Published by Jean Clarke for Liverpool Mutual Homes in Housing and also in Communities

A Liverpool landlord is in contention to win the top award in social housing.

Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) has been shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Housing’s ‘Large Housing Association of the Year’ title in the UK Housing Awards.

LMH has been recognised for the way it responded to the changing economic climate and adjusted its housing services accordingly to best meet its tenants’ needs.

Services have been adapted in five key areas: supporting people and homelessness; a social dividend; youth involvement; scrutiny and co-regulation; and, its improvement programme.

At a time when Supported People teams are being cut, LMH created an in-house team with specialist provider, Nugent Care to protect vulnerable tenants.

LMH is working with Liverpool City Council to develop the UK’s first eco-friendly homeless hostel to provide a safe haven for people in need of emergency respite.

A £700,000 social dividend was launched which sees LMH paying efficiency savings to tenants through its Neighbourhood Plan Fund by allowing them to apply directly for grants to create safer and stronger communities.

The third change saw LMH create LMHtv – an internet-based i-player film facility - to more young people so they are more represented in its everyday work and the decision-making process.

LMHtv was created to offer tenants a platform to record and air issues that are important to them and their communities by making films, and it led to the creation of a formally recognised tenants’ and residents’ association for young people.

LMH’s flagship scrutiny scheme is the Positive People’s Platform, which sees members of LMH’s 17 sheltered schemes regulating services and developing ideas with staff. 

LMH has invested over £207m in less than four years with whole-house transformations being carried out using the latest energy efficient products.

The programme is six months ahead of schedule and is bringing thousands of properties that have sat empty for decades back into use, reviving communities to create safe and aspiring neighbourhoods.

Chief Executive at Liverpool Mutual Homes, Steve Coffey, said: “The Chartered Institute of Housing’s UK Housing Awards are the most prestigious in social housing and highly coveted so it is great testament to the efforts of our tenants, staff and partners that we have been shortlisted.

“Economically, the sector is facing one of its toughest periods in recent times so we have addressed this by providing services that reflect the conditions and what our tenants need most.”

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Photograph: LMH Chief Executive, Steve Coffey.