The Minister of State for Housing, Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP has written to all social housing tenants in England, and has asked for this to be shared with you.
The letter provides an update on what the Government and social landlords are doing to look after the safety, health, and wellbeing of tenants during the Covid-19 outbreak. It also lists all of the advice and support the Government has put in place. You can read the letter here: Covid19 Letter to social housing residents
We would also like to provide an update on what we have been doing, and our plans as lockdown restrictions start to be lifted.
Maintainance and repairs
Our repairs service continues to deal with urgent repairs and works that are essential to keeping you safe, such as checking your boiler and communal fire alarm and emergency lighting checks. An emergency repair in your home is work that:
- removes immediate danger to people;
- avoids serious damage to your home; or
- is required to make the property secure.
If an emergency arises, please call 0300 330 7003.
Our repairs and estate services teams will continue to work in a safe way, using the Government’s social distancing guidance. We are also making plans for completing repairs that have been reported and are currently on hold when it’s safe to do so. If you have a question about an outstanding repair, please call 0300 330 7003. If you would like to report a repair, this can be done by calling us or through your tenancy account: Your NPH
We will update our website, Facebook and Twitter regularly. Please follow us to keep updated with any changes.
Gas safety
We have continued to make annual gas safety checks as necessary. As this requires going into homes, we have spoken to residents affected to make sure they are comfortable with us going into their property, and have made sure all social distancing rules have been followed.
If you are due to have a gas safety check and have any concerns, please call us on 0300 330 7003.
Moving house
If you are considering moving into a new property, we would encourage you to read the guidance on how to do so safely: Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
If you are offered a new home during this time, we will contact you to arrange a viewing. We will explain all of the social distancing measures will need to be followed to keep you and our staff safe, and will explain the process to you. If you do decide to accept the property, we will go through the sign up process during the viewing.
Rents and loss of income
If your income has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, we do understand the financial pressure you may be dealing with. If you think you will struggle to keep up with rent payments, we want to reassure you that we are here to help. We will work with you to agree a flexible plan that is specific to your individual circumstances. Our priority is to keep you in your home.
We urge you to get in touch as soon as possible to discuss your situation. We have team members who are specially trained to support you with financial issues. You can call us on 0300 330 7003 or contact the rent income team by email.
If your income has not been affected, please continue to make payments as usual. While we are all advised to stay at home, it could be the right time to start paying by direct debit. You can set this up online by heading to Your NPH from the homepage. Alternatively, you can call us on 0300 330 7003.
Support
Our team is still making telephone calls to residents whom we are aware fall into vulnerable groups. If you are struggling to manage and need to get in touch with us before we call you, or we may not be aware of your vulnerability, please get in touch on 0300 330 7003 or complete the 'assistance during covid-19' form.
We are continually monitoring services, assessing risk and planning for when further restrictions are lifted and will keep you up to date with any changes.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions or concerns about NPH services, you can call us on 0300 3307003 or head to our contact us page.