Supporting Balanced and Sustainable Communities

Vision: Sustainable and thriving communities that meet residents’ needs and nurture a sense of pride and belonging

We aim to create balanced and sustainable communities by focusing on economic, social, and physical regeneration.

Through supporting projects that are connected and inclusive, we will enhance social capital in local communities. We will form strategic partnerships to develop and deliver programs that boost employability and upskilling and strengthen the economic sustainability of communities, ensuring financial inclusion for all tenants and residents.

Objective 9: Deliver place-based economic, social and physical regeneration to balance and sustain communities

To do this we will :

Deliver place based economic and social regeneration on the Jubilee Fields Estate, Shildon to sustain the community
Progress place based economic, social, and physical regeneration on the Western Estate, Newton Aycliffe to balance and sustain the community, and transform the housing offer
Expand the use of community data and insight to facilitate and deliver sustainable growth in existing, new and emerging communities to ensure regeneration is proactive and evidence based
Support partners to deliver projects and initiatives that target and tackle child poverty within communities to give children the best start in life

Objective 10: Enable the delivery of projects that maximise social capital in communities making them sustainable, connected and inclusive

To do this we will:

Deliver and enable interventions that support younger, older and vulnerable residents to be more connected to their community
Enhance community safety interventions through effective partnership working that prevents, manages and resolves incidences of anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood nuisance
Enhance social capital in communities to build resilience and to ensure residents feel included and in control
Triangulate data relating to allocations and lettings, housing management interventions and community indicators to develop and implement plans to contribute to the sustainability of neighbourhoods

Objective 11: Facilitate and deliver employability and upskilling initiatives to improve economic sustainability of communities and strengthened financial capability of tenants and residents

To do this we will:

Deliver targeted employability initiatives to meet market demands for emerging labour market skills, including green skills, through effective partnership working
Proactively respond to local labour market trends and tenant skills to develop innovative initiatives that maximise employment opportunities for all
Develop and deliver apprenticeships and work experience opportunities in partnership with local businesses and supply chain partners to widen access to employment within our communities

Performance

Turnover of tenancies as a percentage of overall stock (SST) (cumulative)

Percentage of tenants to have improved financial confidence following financial inclusion support

Average SAP score of properties

Total social value to be achieved through social, economic and environmental interventions in communities supported/ delivered by Livin (£m) (cumulative)

Percentage improvement of sustainable places indicators - placemaking (-)

Current tenant rent arrears as a percentage of the rent roll

Total number of customers helped into employment (cumulative)

Total number of tenants helped into employment (cumulative)

Find out more about Plan A in the sections below

Background

Consistently Delivering Excellent Customer Experience and Digital Services

Excellent services that are consistent, reliable, innovative and influenced by customers

Contributing to a Sustainable Future

Environmentally sustainable communities for generations to come with customers thriving in low-energy homes

Supporting Balanced and Sustainable Communities

Sustainable and thriving communities that meet residents’ needs and nurture a sense of pride and belonging

Supporting Sustainable Tenancies

Empowered tenants living in comfortable and manageable homes in sustainable communities

Providing Quality Sustainable Homes

Tenants living in warm, safe, high quality, and sustainable homes in which they are proud to live

Building and Acquiring Sustainable Homes

Additional high quality, sustainable homes, which meet the needs of customers, in balanced communities

Maintaining Strong Finances

Financially strong and resilient, investing in the future of social housing for our customers and their communities

Maximising the Talent and Contribution of our People

A professional, engaged and empowered workforce, working together to deliver excellent services

Plan A Priorities

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.