• Online mutual exchange platform

• Largest not-for-profit provider

• Helping residents move home by making mutual exchange an easy, viable and effective option. • Network of partner landlords span the entire UK

• Part of Circle Housing – we are a social landlord with 67,000 homes

• Mission to enhance life chances

• Promoting independence, supporting people, increasing employment & financial inclusion

Introduction

Swap Days

• Working closely with you to deliver fantastic events

• Offering expert advise to residents on the day

• Suite of template promotional materials to complement the event

• Sharing best practice from the team

• Help with promoting the event

• Produce ‘estate agency’ style adverts for the day

Promoting Mutual Exchange

• Choose your venue carefully

• Timing

• Invite other organisations & departments

• Involve your press team

• Do you have internet?

• Boards for property adverts

• Advice on all options

• Use stickers to encourage engagement

• Targeting

Top Tips for Swap Days

Reasons for moving & targeting

Reasons for moving stats Aug/Sept 13 stats Aug/Sept 14 stats Aug/Sept 15

Benefit Changes 2.10% 1.40% 0.94%

Education Training 3.20% 2.90% 3.02%

Financial Issues 2.10% 2.10% 2.05%

Care For Relative 3.60% 3.40% 3.61%

Adaptations Needed 2.80% 2.80% 3.26%

Smaller Property 8.80% 7.70% 7.28%

Employment Reasons 8.00% 8.20% 8.38%

Nearer To Friends 11.30% 10.70% 10.96%

Anti Social Issues 2.80% 3.40% 3.44%

Better Area 8.10% 8.40% 9.34%

Nearer To Family 22.20% 22.80% 22.95%

Bigger Property 25.00% 26.20% 24.77%

Social Media

Promoting Mutual Exchange

Public Relations

Promoting Mutual Exchange

Cost efficient marketing

Promoting Mutual Exchange

Our people

Eleni Nicolaides – London to Peterborough

“I have already recommended it.” “It’s a great website if you want to look for a

move.” “Really loved the ‘who wants my home’

search”

“House Exchange is a flexible, cost effective means of providing residents

with alternative mobility options.”

Ian Hilton, Access & Development Manager, Salford City Council

“House Exchange was not only the best value for money service, but as it provides us with our own branded website, our tenants feel at home’ using it.” Mike Camponi, Leeds Homes Business Manager, Leeds City Council

Richard Lane – Great Yarmouth - Gorleston “It all went very smoothly, found the swap very quickly in only a month. The process once I found the exchange actually took longer, about two months!” “Really happy with my new home” “The website was fantastic” “I’d recommend it to anybody, it was; easy to search, easy to update, just… easy to use.”

Emma found her home swap within 3 weeks of registering with House Exchange, Emma wanted to be closer to her family and friends, whom were only seven and a half miles away from where she lived, she was also experiencing harassment issues. Emma has described House Exchange as “…absolutely brilliant” and when asked if she knew whether her fellow exchanger was happy in Emma’s old home, she says “yes…very happy, we’ve actually become very good friends through the experience.”

It’s not for everyone …. My mum

• She didn’t want a mutual exchange

• Low priority on transfer list

• She lives in a village with limited void properties

• Her neighbour looks out for her

• There’s a local shop in the village

• There’s a doctors surgery in the village

• Her friends live round the corner

• She was born in the village and grew up there

• Long distance moves

• Being proactive

• Pictures & notes

• Unpopular areas

• Unlikely moves

Managing Expectations

• Limited social housing

• Different tenancies

• Being flexible

• Look at other options

• Incentives from both sides

• 1,368,312 on Local Authority waiting lists

• 123,900 LA lettings

• 268,273 RP Lettings

• 976,139 not housed

• 64,000 households in TA

• Average costs £15,000 per annum per household

• Sector costs = £930,000,000

Facts & Figures (2014)

• Restore national mobility for all social housing tenants

• Mutual Exchange Plus – empty properties + MEX

• Not limited to tenants – also those in TA

• CBL approach with local policies applied

• General needs, Accessible housing, Sheltered & Right to Move modules

• One registration form & same log in details for tenants

• Hand Holding

Homefinder UK

• Homeless

• Temporary Accommodation

• Overcrowding

• Under Occupation

• Relocate closer to family

• Domestic Violence

Types of moves to date

• Almost 250 property advertisements have been placed on the Homefinder website to date. Some of these are for multiple properties.

• The highest number of properties on offer in

one week was 104

• London Borough of Ealing

• Saved over £30,000 in TA costs

• Better housing options for families living in TA

• Elderly tenants closer to family

• Larger properties freed up

Case Study

Your Experience?

Kim Gilden House Exchange Manager 01603 703516 07774 016662 Kim.Gilden@circle.org.uk Twitter:@HouseExchangeKG

Facebook:HouseExchange

Twitter@HouseExchange

www.HouseExchange.org.uk