A message from Frances

The sunshine seems to have disappeared but hopefully you are making the most of the longer summer days.

Despite the warmer weather, the cost of living continues to be a challenge. With higher bills for lighting and heating, as well as rising prices at the supermarket, it can be hard to make ends meet. It’s not easy and we appreciate your continued commitment to paying your rent. Our Customer Accounts team are here to help you, so please contact them if you are having difficulty in making payments to us, or others.

Like many businesses, Ocean Housing is facing its own set of challenges: Inflation, difficulty recruiting some staff and tougher government regulations being introduced this year. We’re determined to be prepared for these challenges and be the best landlord we can be. That’s why we’re embarking on a review of all our housing services, which we’ve named “Fit for the Future.” There are more details in this edition on our vision for Ocean Housing and how we intend to make a positive difference by raising the quality of homes, neighbourhoods and our services.

As well as carrying out this review, we have a number of exciting improvement projects under way this summer. The expansion of our Grounds Maintenance team means we can now make more regular visits to your neighbourhood. Our energy efficiency improvements are continuing, with 135 homes benefiting
from new insulation and heating this year. We are also actively engaging with local communities to learn how we can make things better.

We know the summer is a busy time for many people but please try to find the time to provide feedback and have your say to help shape the future of Ocean Housing – details on our latest survey can be found on page nine.

Wishing you a fantastic summer.