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Category Archives: Rent

Celebrate VE Day 75th Anniversary with activity packs

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Ocean Housing is helping residents and staff celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day – even in lockdown.

To make sure that people can still mark the milestone in style, we’re pleased to offer a number of downloadable packs and worksheets here on our website.

VE (or Victory in Europe) Day is seen as the end of fighting in Europe, in the final days of the Second World War.

Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, made a radio announcement on May 8 1945 to confirm conflict had ceased. It was the emotional day that millions had waited for. Big celebrations and street parties were held to mark the moment.

The 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on Friday May 8, 2020 was set to be a significant occasion. The May bank holiday was moved and large-scale events were planned to commemorate it.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many events have been forced into cancellation.

Nevertheless, we’re hoping people can still observe the anniversary from their homes. Especially thanks to a brilliant partnership with the Royal British Legion, National Memorial Arboretum and Citizen.

Packs, for children and adults, have been created. This means that you can read all about VE Day and also take part in a range of activities.

Activities include puzzles, recipes, extracts from Churchill speeches, lyrics to war songs and much more.

How to get involved and celebrate VE Day

You can download the packs from the National Memorial Arboretum website. Or you can click below to directly download each one:

VE Day 75th Anniversary Activity Pack

Download Worksheet Key Stage 2

Download Worksheet Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4

Be sure to let us know how you or your young ones get on with the activities. We would love to see some pictures on social media!

Your Ocean Housing rent statement explained

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All tenants and residents will receive their annual rent statement in the coming months.

If your rent account is in credit or if you are paying off arrears in line with an agreement, you will not need to contact us.

Full Housing Benefit claimants do also not need to call in. Housing Benefit queries should be directed to Cornwall Council Housing Benefit.

Are you claiming Universal Credit?

Due to technical difficulties experienced during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are currently unable to allocate payments received from your Universal Credit to your rent account.

Your rent account may therefore show a larger arrears balance than it should. All payments received by Ocean Housing will be allocated accordingly as soon as possible.

If you are concerned about this , you can email screenshots of your Universal Credit statement showing your two most recent payments to help@oceanhousing.com – please include your name and address on the email.

It is your responsibility to check your Universal Credit statement every month to ensure that your rent is covered in full by the direct payments. If your Universal Credit does not cover the rent in full or payments stop, you must contact your Customer Accounts advisor to discuss payments.

Also, because of technical difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak, we are currently unable to allocate payments received from DWP third party payments for rent arrears.

The picture below shows how the rent statement is broken down and explains if you are in credit, arrears, have an agreement set up, pay a service charge or have any other monies owed other than rent.

To view your rent statements online go to My Ocean, or download the Ocean Housing App via the Play Store or the Apple App Store (You must be registered and signed in to My Ocean while using the app).

Should you have any further questions regarding your rent statement, please contact us by emailing help@oceanhousing.com or by calling 01726 874450.

Every time that rent statements are sent out we do notice some recurring questions.

So, we have put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to help you better understand your rent statement.

You can find the Rent Statement FAQs here.

Ocean invests £3.7m into home energy efficiency improvements

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Ocean Housing is investing £3.7million in improving the energy efficiency of some of its homes.

Following a successful pilot, we have also been awarded additional grant funding by an energy provider which means we can carry out work to more homes. The work will include the renewal of roofs and external insulation of qualifying Cornish Units.

This will help to reduce the energy costs associated with living in this style of home and ensure residents are able to keep all rooms a comfortable temperature.

In order to be eligible for the improvements, the home must be “Hard to Heat”, as specified by the energy provider.

This means your home must have uninsulated ground and first floor walls. It may also have electric night storage heaters or oil heating.

Letters will be sent out shortly to inform those living in qualifying Cornish Units whose homes are scheduled for renovations during the first phase of improvements.

We will be contacting others who qualify closer to the time that work is scheduled to take place at their address.

Ocean Housing will work closely with you explain the whole process from start to finish.

This will begin with a meeting at your home and a survey of your property in its current condition.

New Homes for Liskeard

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Ocean Housing have celebrated the development of 24 new affordable homes at Rowan Lane, Liskeard with an event on Thursday 14th June.

Residents, neighbours and staff came together to share coffee and cake, and see the development officially opened by the Mayor of Liskeard, Christina Whitty. Phase 1 of the site, which consists of 20 homes for rent and shared ownership sale, was built by our sister company, Gilbert and Goode. Phase 2 was sold to local builder Pearce Fine Homes who developed 16 houses for open market sale, alongside a further 4 affordable homes for Ocean Housing.

All affordable homes were completed in February 2018 and allocated to people with connections to the town of Liskeard. The scheme proved so popular that 16 of the 17 affordable rent homes were occupied the day after completion, with residents moving into the remaining home the following week. The new properties range from one bedroom flats to four bedroom houses and provide spacious accommodation for single people and large families alike.

John Miller moved into a one bedroom flat in February and said

“This property is ideal for myself as I’m elderly and disabled and is much more suitable than the property I was in previously. The standard and finish is excellent, and I consider myself very fortunate to be here as an Ocean resident.”

Ocean Group Chief Executive Mark Gardner said

“This fantastic development is yet another example of our commitment to providing high quality, affordable housing across Cornwall; we are grateful for the continuing financial support of Homes England and Cornwall Council to assist in delivering homes where they are most needed”.

We have more Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership properties in the pipeline and Gilbert and Goode are actively seeking land opportunities across Cornwall.

If you are a landowner or agent please contact our Development Team on 01726 64800.

Breathing New Life into St Blazey

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Polgrean-07 map of phasesAfter securing government funding to explore the possibility of redevelopment at Polgrean Place in St Blazey in 2017, we can now announce our intentions to redevelop the area.

We will begin consultation with our residents this month, as we plan to bring a fresh breath of life in to the community in the area. Following in-depth studies, feedback from current residents and extensive surveying of the area, we have committed to the multi-million pound investment to redevelop 66 flats over the course of 3 phases.

We will be working with our residents and the wider local community, as well as a team of consultants, with the aim of submitting a planning application to Cornwall Council before the end of the year. If the application is successful, it will mean that building work could commence in Summer 2019.

By demolishing the 1950s concrete blocks of flats, we will be consulting on residents’ thoughts on creating a mix of flats and houses, as well as how best to give local people the opportunity to get on the housing ladder, through the affordable shared ownership homes.

Frances Turner, Managing Director at Ocean Housing, explains:

‘This is a massively exciting project for us and for our residents, both new and existing. Polgrean Place is a tight knit community and our residents feel strongly about where they live. We want to listen to residents’ views and harness their ideas to shape our plans, so that our investment in the area makes a positive, long lasting difference. Ocean is not underestimating the impact it will have on the existing community, and the well-being of our customers is paramount, so we have put in place dedicated resources to help our affected residents through the process from start to finish.’

We will be holding our first public consultation event at the Hands Together Community Centre located in Landreath Place on 27th June from 10am-6:30pm. It will be an opportunity for everyone to take a look at the plans so far, ask questions and put forward any idea they may have.

As the plans are currently in their infancy, there will be the opportunity for residents and the wider community to engage in shaping and developing a vision for the potential new build redevelopment scheme.

Maria is feeling ready for Universal Credit – are you?

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There are a number of ways you can prepare for Universal Credit. Being prepared now will make the change easier, and our Welfare Advisors are here to help.

One of our residents, Maria, has already started planning for Universal Credit.

Looking at her circumstances, she is aware her benefits will change in September 2018 when her son starts school.

Rent First
She is topping up her rent account with £2 a week using her Allpay card to ensure her home will be protected. Continue reading →

Universal Credit is here!

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If you receive any of the following benefits, you will be going onto Universal Credit:

  • Job Seekers Allowance (income related)
  • Employment Support Allowance (income related)
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit

Roll out

Universal Credit is already live in Cornwall and the Full Digital Service is being rolled out from this December, starting with Liskeard, Launceston and Bude.

There have been some changes to the roll out dates:

May 2018 (was Feb) – St. Austell, Newquay, Bodmin and Truro

June 2018 (was March) – Penzance, Helston, Bodmin and Penryn. Continue reading →

Moving Home with Mutual Exchange

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Katrina is thrilled with her new home thanks to a mutual exchange;

“The swap was very easy to arrange and it has made a huge difference to our lives. My son Kian can now walk to school and spend more time with his friends.”

A home swap or mutual exchange happens when tenants of Registered Social Landlords such as Ocean Housing, swap properties with each other. This can only happen if both tenants have their landlords’ consent and meet the mutual exchange criteria.

Home Swapper

You can register free of charge with Home Swapper which is a national database of social housing tenants looking to swap their home. As a tenant, you can register whether you wish to find a swap locally or nationally should you wish to move outside the area. Once you register with Home Swapper, we check your eligibility to make sure your tenancy allows you to swap. Once you find a swap, you need to contact us and ask for a mutual exchange application form. We will then need to carry out checks, such as inspect your home and check your rent account. You cannot move if you have rent arrears.

Register

Icon online form sml  www.homeswapper.co.uk

Contact

Contact your Neighbourhood Services Officer

Icon phone sml 01726 874450

Icon Email sml help@oceanhousing.com

Ocean heads West with another delivery of Affordable Homes

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St Austell-based housing provider Ocean Housing has celebrated further success on its mission to deliver quality new homes across Cornwall.  Residents of the Water Lane development of affordable homes in Hayle were joined by Ocean’s Board members, Dennis Spilsbury and Chris Durkin as well as Deputy Mayor Clive Polkinghorne, to share in the moment as Councillor Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Homes, officially opened the scheme.

The 20 new properties have provided a real boost to local residents keen to obtain a place they can really call home. Mr Power, who has lived in the parish for many years confirmed:

‘“My new home has really changed my life, I feel secure in a great neighbourhood”. Continue reading →

Blackwater arrival

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St Austell-based housing provider Ocean Housing has completed a development of new homes in Blackwater, providing 12 Affordable Rent and 4 Shared Ownership homes for local people. The scheme was delivered in partnership with their sister company Gilbert and Goode, who built 8 homes for open market sale on the same site. All of these homes are already under offer.

blackwater-siteplan-elevations

Rural Life 2017

The National Housing Federation has recently launched its report confirming that Housing Associations providing affordable housing have assisted in halting the decline in rural services and communities. The arrival of Ocean’s North Hill Gardens development in Blackwater is a great example of delivering homes for young people, ensuring the future of the village and surrounding rural area. Continue reading →

#HousingDay – Gas leak discovery

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Ocean tenant and Chair of the Tenant panel, Jan Faulkner (on the right) has just emailed us because she felt you should hear her story.

“Each year, we allow Ocean into our homes to carry out a gas safety check, which is a legal and a tenancy requirement.

This year, the engineer called to my home to complete the necessary test. However, towards the end of this test he asked if I had smelt gas, and I had to say that I had.

Six months earlier I had to replace my gas cooker, and arranged for a qualified fitter to put it in. Since then, there had been a slight smell of gas but I failed to take any notice as I trusted the qualified fitter and thought it was normal for a new cooker. I had suffered headaches and nausea but I had not connected it to the smell.

I was informed that there was a leak from the pipe to the cooker and this was impacting on mine and my family’s health.

Thankfully, the Ocean engineer put it right for me there and then. I was so relieved.

My home now has a clean bill of health for another year, and no smell of gas.

We may feel that it is inconvenient and not necessary but knowing that my home is safe for another year is so worth it.”

This experience has been a real eye opener for her. It just goes to show that many of our customers could potentially be putting themselves and their families at risk because they are failing to give our engineers access to carry out their annual gas service.

Bright future for St. Blazey

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Local residents are celebrating with Ocean this week, following the announcement that funding has been awarded to look into regeneration and re-development in the heart of the community.

Future options for the 8 blocks of three storey flats at Polgrean Place and the surrounding landscape will be explored, and people living in the area can expect to be asked for their views and be kept in close contact with updates on what will be a two year research project.*

Ocean’s Chief Executive, Mark Gardner, explained further:

“Ocean’s top priority is quality homes and living space for its residents and that is why we worked hard to secure this government funding, to help accelerate future plans for the Polgrean and St Blazey area.

Researching regeneration options will build upon the multi-million pound Promises Programme which Ocean has undertaken over the past 16 years, which has seen glazing, roofing and insulation programmes improve the standard of thousands of Cornish homes.”

The Managing Director of Ocean Housing, Frances Turner, added:

“Our teams have been working closely on the local Neighbourhood Plan, to retain this area as a central hub to over 6,500 people living in the Par and St Blazey area. Ocean has a strong track record of working with local partners to deliver community improvements and we look forward to once again collaborating with organisations such as Cornwall Council, so that these exploratory works can tie in with other key plans for the area, such as the STARR flood alleviation project.”

Ocean is keen to hear ideas and input on future plans for the area and will shortly begin a full programme of consultation.

Keep up to date by visiting our Polgrean News pages and contribute your thoughts by various means:

Icon online form sml Polgrean News

Icon Email sml Email help@oceanhousing.com

icon-lets-chat-sml LiveChat here on the website

Icon online form sml Online Contact Form

 

NB: * Properties designated as Polgrean Place are No’s 1 – 47 Polgrean Place – odds only, 2 – 72 Polgrean Place – evens only.

#HousingDay 2016 ‘Fresh Start’

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Today, we’ve been celebrating #HousingDay on social media to try and raise awareness of the positive impact the Housing Sector has on people’s lives.

One of our Customer Accounts Advisors has put into words how she feels about her work:

melody-boyce“People often think of social housing as cheap housing for people who can’t afford the private sector.

What is missing from that is the tremendous amount of support that we offer to people to make their tenancy a success.

One of the aspects I find most satisfying is helping people through their first tenancy or with a fresh start. They may be walking away from abuse or just starting up and it can be terrifying. You don’t get that support in the private sector and seeing tenants grow and become happy in their new home is fantastic.

I am very lucky to meet people before they become Ocean tenants and work with them throughout the first few months of their tenancy helping with things like Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, benefits generally and budgeting.

Giving people the tools to turn their lives around and become independent is immensely satisfying and its lovely to speak to people a few weeks into their tenancy and hear that just having a new home has made all the difference.”

Thank you, Melody!

Budgeting Ahead

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Banner Monthly Budget GC

The kids are back at school and Christmas will soon be upon us so now is an excellent time to review your finances and look at how to budget ahead more effectively.

One important part of budgeting is to ensure that your priority debts are paid on time.

Maintaining your rent payments is an essential part of managing your finances and helping you budget. Once these payments are made then it is easier to understand what money you have left over each month for your other outgoings.

To make things a little easier for you, we’ve put together a helpful guide listing ‘Ways to Pay’ – this will help you identify the best way for you to take control of your finances and make budgeting a little easier.

Click on it to enlarge.

payment-methods-pros-cons-v3

Income Management Team – What’s changing?

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Here at Ocean we pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service and one of the teams currently doing this is our Income Management Team.

They work with our customers:

Allpay-Ocean-Payment-card-houses-icon to provide help and support when they encounter financial difficulties

Allpay-Ocean-Payment-card-houses-icon identifying additional benefits that they may be entitled to

Allpay-Ocean-Payment-card-houses-icon referring to support agencies

Allpay-Ocean-Payment-card-houses-icon working with them to help get them back on track with their rental payments.

Allpay-Ocean-Payment-card-houses-banner

So what is changing?

The team are fundamentally staying the same however; there has been a change to the team name and role titles.

“Our customers are important to us and are at the centre of everything we do, we feel that the new team name and team titles better reflect what we do”

The team’s new name is the

Customer Accounts Team:

The team members are:

Customer Accounts Manager

Debbie Goodreid

Customer Accounts Advisors

Amy Coad

Kerry Smith

Loraine Hoar

Melody Boyce

Michelle Allen

Customer Accounts Assistant

Helen Bellamy

Home Ownership Advisor

Scott Burrows

Banner--Allpay-ref-SH

As well as helping customers when they are struggling to maintain their rent payments we are also responsible for all payments including:

  • Service charges, repair charges and other such charges
  • Garage and parking spaces
  • Shared Ownership
  • Leasehold payments
  • Freehold Properties &
  • Commercial Properties

Welfare-Team-June-2016

Did you know that we also have a Welfare Advice Team?

The Welfare Advice Team can help customers who are in receipt of Universal Credit or are affected by Bedroom Tax or Benefit Cap.

The Welfare Advice Team members are:

Welfare Advice Manager

Gill Barnard

Welfare Advisors

Gemma Aldin

Julie Cartlidge

Susan McKnight

Banner-My-Ocean-GC-sign-in-sign-up

My Ocean – our 24/7 service

At Ocean we are constantly developing new ways of being able to keep in touch with our customers.

Did you know that you can view your tenancy details on line 24 hours a day 7 days a week?

Once registered, you can log in to your secure ‘My Ocean’ account to view:

My Ocean – latest news & events
My Account – balance & transactions
My Repairs
My Planned Upgrades.

To register, just click:

My-Ocean-sign-in-sign-up

Talk to Us

You can also access information and help:

Icon online form sml Your Money general advice

Icon online form sml Talk to us

Icon Email sml Send an email 

Icon phone sml 01726 874450

 

 

 

 

My Ocean – FREE Prize Draw

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Banner-My-Ocean-GC-sign-in-sign-up
Every day, our Customer Services team receive calls from customers asking for their rent balance. Did you know you can check your rent balance online?

My Ocean – your personalised online service

My Ocean is a personalised online service – an area of our website where you can securely log in and view your balance and transactions from the last 3 months as well as your repairs and planned upgrades, 24/7, without having to wait in the phone queue!

Continue reading →

Benefit rules are changing

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How Will Families Be Affected By April’s Benefit Changes?

Turn2Us FamilyBenefitsChanges_LeadThis month sees the start of changes to several welfare benefits.

Linda Gyamfi, Welfare Benefits Specialist at national charity Turn2us explains more about  some of these changes, what they mean for families, and where you can find support if you’re affected.

Changes include:

  • Freeze on working-age benefits
  • Tax credits income rise disregard
  • Universal Credit Work Allowance
  • Universal Credit – Childcare Costs element increased
  • Family Premium in Housing Benefit Abolished
  • Housing Benefit backdating
  • Support for Mortgage Interest waiting period
  • Benefit Cap Lowered  

To read the whole article and find out if it will affect you,

Icon online form sml CLICK HERE.

Icon online form sml About the changes to the Benefits Cap

Communal Cleaning Annual Survey

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New communal cleaningOcean is committed to providing good quality services and in order to ensure that standards are maintained, we need your views as a customer.

We would be grateful if you would tell us how well you think we have delivered our Communal Cleaning service over the past 12 months.

Prize Draw

As a thank you for your time, all surveys submitted or returned will be entered into a prize draw for a £25 shopping voucher. This is why it is important to provide your contact details.

Deadline

Please complete this short questionnaire by Friday 15th April to help us improve our services. Continue reading →

LABC Award for Trevone

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Trevone GCI view 2 150408 smlThe Ocean Housing Development team are delighted to receive an LABC award for ‘Best Housing Development’ in recognition of the high standards and quality of build delivered by the team and construction company, Gilbert & Goode.

This is a highly respected endorsement, further attesting that Ocean’s strategy is paying off – that it is possible to provide quality and affordable homes for the people of Cornwall who have been steadily priced out of the market in the area where they grew up.

For further information, contact the Development team. Continue reading →

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