May 8, 2018
We’ve recently enhanced the way we contact people on the Joint Social Housing Waitlist to let them know we have a property that may be suitable for them.
Accessible on-line information coupled with SMS messaging is enabling us to speed up the process of contacting people on the Joint Social Housing Waitlist to alert them that they are eligible to apply for a specific Foundation Housing property that is likely to meet their needs.
Prospective tenants can now view vacant properties on the Foundation Housing website in a format comparable to commercial real estate websites allowing them to quickly identify whether the property would be right for them and progress their application and, hopefully, move in sooner.
Previously individuals on the list who have been identified as being the next candidate for a specific property due to their list position, requested location and property size entitlement were contacted by mail or phone and would then have to attend a home open with only a basic understanding of the property being offered to them. Now people on the waitlist are sent an SMS with a link to the relevant property page on our website so they are far more informed from the outset of the process.
Not all individuals on the Joint Wait List immediately accept a property offered to them, so it’s often necessary to contact several candidates before the a tenant is found. Foundation Housing’s allocations manager Leah explains, “People might decline a property because it would require children to change schools, or they can’t afford to break the lease of their current property, or perhaps it’s simply unsuitable for their circumstances. We understand this, but working through this process with every person takes time and obviously we want to see someone in need in the property as soon as possible rather than having it sit empty.
“We are really excited to introduce the new system because it should dramatically reduce the time it takes us to get the right tenant in the right home and so it will provide better outcomes for us, and for people on the waitlist,” she added.
Only individuals contacted by Foundation Housing can apply for the properties shown on the website, however information about how to join the waitlist for other community housing properties including Foundation Housing’s, is provided in the new section.