Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors undertakes new report

Almshouses: a model of community housing for an ageing population.

A recent report recognises the great value almshouses have played in the provision of homes for people in housing need over the centuries.

Authored by Jenny Pannell and Dr Alison Pooley of Anglia Ruskin University, the report explores the characteristics of these small scale micro communities that appear in almost every market town and city in England. They identify the value of the architecture, the unique nature of almshouses as charitable enterprises, the drive of philanthropy in establishing them and the need and opportunity for more, as well as highlighting some of the barriers that are preventing almshouse development for the future – planning, awareness of their existence and lack of understanding of their great value to society.

This report goes a long way to demystify and raise awareness of the beloved, valued asset of our community and whilst the report is steered towards older people, some of the findings can apply to almshouses for younger people, families and mixed age groupings. It reinforces the good practice and experience which needs to be more widely disseminated by The Almshouse Association, promoting it as an exemplar of community-led housing, providing affordable dwellings and encouraging an intergenerational approach for the benefit of all alleviating isolation yet allowing for independence too.

The Almshouse Association endorses the comments that we recommendation ‘to reinterpret the past and reimagine for the future’. We are working with our members to see more almshouses built, historic almshouses refurbished and re-modelled and new charities established. As the report notes, almshouses will always only be part of the affordable housing solution, but to those residents who find themselves a home in an almshouse – they are often the most important part of their life.

Almshouses: a model of community housing for an ageing population – by Jenny Powell and Dr Alison Pooley of Anglia Ruskin University

Almshouses have existed in England for over a thousand years, and new almshouses are still being built. Almshouse charities provide social housing for over 36,000 people in around 30,000 dwellings. Most almshouse residents are older people (aged 50/60+ years), yet built environment and housing professionals, politicians and others concerned with the provision of housing for older people are more familiar with other social housing providers than with almshouse charities.

Research on almshouses tends to focus on their architectural and social history, detailing historic buildings, the past role of philanthropy, and the lives of residents, rather than their current or future role in housing provision. Recent reports addressing housing issues, and more specifically addressing rented housing for older people, have tended to concentrate on housing with care as solutions for future provision.

This research starts to fill the gap by taking a future-focused approach, looking at recent almshouse developments to inform housing provision in the 21st century. It explores their distinct and valuable contribution to housing older people to inform built environment and housing professionals, including architects and surveyors, funders, local authority housing and planning officers, prospective partner organisations, Homes England and the UK government.

The full report can be found here

About the RICS Research Trust
This research was funded by the RICS Research Trust. The Trust supports and promotes high-quality independent contributions to knowledge in the disciplines of land, real estate and construction.

Posted 5 January 2021

Covid update: 21.12.20

This weekend the Government announced that London and part of the South East would enter new Tier 4 restrictions and the rules for Christmas celebrations would be limited for the whole of England.

Although this will have come as a major disappointment to trustees, staff and residents alike, the new restrictions have been put in place to prevent the transmission of a new, mutated form of the virus.

The new variant of Covid-19 has spread rapidly over the past few weeks. Scientists have discovered that it is transmitted more easily but there is no indication at this stage that it is more likely to cause a serious outcome (i.e. ending up in hospital or death). That said, as many of our members provide homes for older people and those more likely to suffer from complications from the disease, it is important that you are familiar with the rules and can help your residents to stick to them.

Tiers 1-3

For areas in these tiers, the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with two other households (‘Christmas bubble’) will now be limited to Christmas day only. The Government’s scientific advisers have urged caution around this, however, and it would be better to keep your interactions with other households to an absolute minimum.

The rules around support bubbles still apply and you should familiarise yourself with the rules that apply to the tier your area is in.

https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae

Tier 4

These restrictions apply in London (all borough and the City of London), Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Kent, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother, Hastings, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire, and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).

In short, Tier 4 restrictions are effectively a lockdown. You cannot leave or be outside of the place you are living unless you have a reasonable excuse. You should not leave the Tier 4 area or travel abroad. You cannot meet other people indoors, including over the Christmas period, unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. Full details on the Tier 4 rules can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae.

These new rules are likely to be quite upsetting for your residents, who have possibly been looking forward to spending time with their friends and relatives over the festive period. We would recommend calling your residents to make sure they are ok and to offer any support they might need in the coming days. This might include putting them in touch with relevant services (e.g. community voluntary groups, Age UK, social services) or offering to help them yourselves with shopping and other tasks to enable them to minimise their contact with others.

It is worth remembering, however, that almshouses are for independent living and, if you choose to implement stricter rules for your almshouses, you should only do this with the prior agreement of the residents. Residents may choose to spend time in their support bubbles or attend a communal worship service over the festive period as allowed under the rules, but there will naturally be an increased risk in transmitting the virus. You should therefore consider closing any communal lounges, having a rota in place for communal laundries, and implementing a more frequent cleaning regime in communal spaces (e.g. laundries, corridors etc). Guest rooms should be closed.

At this stage it is not known how long these rules will be in place or if any other areas in England will be put into Tier 4. The next review of the tiers will take place on 30 December.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Different rules apply in the other nations of the UK. These are:

  • Wales – Wales has today entered ‘alert level 4’, which is broadly similar to the Tier 4 restrictions in place in England. The main difference is that up to two households can form a ‘Christmas bubble’ for Christmas day only. A full breakdown of the rules can be found at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4
  • Scotland – Scotland also operate a tiered system of restrictions and you should check which tier your area is in. Over Christmas, the Scottish government advises you to spend the festive period with your household only but a Christmas bubble of up to 8 people from 3 households (plus children under the age of 12 from 3 households) can be formed. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/

Posted 21 December 20

CEO Christmas Message

Dear all,

Firstly I thank you, our members, trustees, clerks, wardens and volunteers who have done so much to support your residents during the year, especially when so many of you have had your own challenges and commitments to take care of.

In the almshouse world, we often talk about buildings, governance, legislation, finance, fundraising…but actually… at the middle of it all…right at the heart of what we do… are the residents….and you and the residents make sure this is kept front and centre. You – by showing how you care every day of the year for your residents, and the residents – by letting us know how much their almshouse “family” means to them.

So what kind of a Christmas message can I give ? It is no exaggeration to say that it has been a dreadful year and maybe many people will not be celebrating Christmas. Covid has been such a pain, not just impacting our daily routine, but it seems to have seeped into our very psyche! It has made people ill directly and those it has not touched directly, it has made them scared and miserable. But! I am surprisingly optimistic about the year ahead . It is so often said that you only appreciate “it” when “it” has gone. Friendship and community mean everything in the almshouse world and this past year, we have desperately missed the company of others, meeting friends, sharing a chat, tea together, the relaxed atmosphere of a busy friendly pub, parties and celebrations, warm hugs and kisses – the thought of getting that all back is making me is making me feel really positive about the next year. I feel that there really is now a light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting so much brighter and closer. I can actually dare to imagine life getting back to normal. It will be different for a while, we have all been knocked off our feet this year, one way or another, but I know I will really appreciate time spent with others that maybe I was too busy to appreciate before and what I really miss – coming out to meet our members and residents .

And, here at the Association in 2021, as we celebrate 75 years of supporting and representing almshouse charities, we intend to celebrate all the great work of almshouses, all your hard work in keeping the spirit and function of almshouses going, keeping your residents buoyed up and giving so much.

We all wish you, your families and residents a peaceful, safe and warm Christmas and a bright, positive New Year!

Our phones lines will be closed between 24th December and 4th January 2021. If you need to call urgently during this time, please call Nick Phillips CEO on T: 07483 390054

Posted 16 December 2020

Christmas surprises for 667 almshouse residents!

Susan Brooks (pictured above) and Danielle Hughes, Member Support Officers at The Almshouse Association have been busy posting out Christmas vouchers to 667 almshouse residents who are all aged 90 or over on 25th December 2020!

The presents are the legacy of a benefactor (whose wishes were to remain anonymous) who left money to the Association with the express wish that we invest the money into a fund to provide Christmas gifts for elderly residents of almshouses at Christmas time.

667 residents in their 90s is an amazing number! That’s 22 more Christmas vouchers than we sent out last year and 200 more than we sent out in 2018! We always knew that almshouse living is good for your health and happiness and now the numbers of residents in their 90s is proving it !

The Almshouse Association would like to take this opportunity to wish our members, who work incredibly hard all year round to provide warm, safe, happy homes to all their residents, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rules on holding AGMs and other meetings

The Government has announced that charitable companies and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) can continue to hold AGMs and other member meetings virtually until 30th March 2021.

For all other charity structures, members should consult their governing documents for guidance on how meetings can be held. At this difficult time it would be best to consult your governing documents regarding allowing virtual or telephone meetings where physical meetings are not possible. If your charity’s governing document does not allow for this, the Charity Commission suggests amending the document to allow for meetings to be held in this way. This is considered an administrative change and simply requires trustees to take a resolution at a quorate trustee meeting and advising the Charity Commission of these changes.  

Wherever possible, it is still hoped that members will be able to submit their annual returns online. However, if Trustees have an imminent deadline and believe they are likely to miss it, you should send an email to filingextension@charitycommission.gov.uk with your charity name and registration number.

Full guidance can be found here.

Posted 16 December 20

Energy White Paper: Association response

Almshouse Association Response to the Energy White Paper

The Almshouse Association welcomes all efforts to create a greener, more energy efficient society. To safeguard our future we must take on this task with the strongest will and determination. The Energy White Paper forms an initial part of this effort, but it does not provide enough information to reassure many of our members.

Many of our members are investing in new, green improvements to their properties through schemes such as the Green Homes Grant. This support will be vital in ensuring members can take that first step towards more energy efficient almshouses. However, the size of the task at hand is of such scale that this grant alone will not suffice in the long term.

Due to the historic nature of almshouses, a large proportion of our members across the country oversee listed buildings. Improvements to these buildings requires a high level of skill to maintain the integrity of the building. This skill comes with a high cost, a cost which many charitable providers of housing just cannot afford.

The Almshouse Association is ambitious to see a green revolution across the almshouse movement, not only because it is good for the planet, but because it will improve the lives of almshouses residents. Improved energy efficiency will not only reduce costs but will also improve the comfort and health of residents. However, we cannot achieve these improvements alone and so we need further clarification from the Government on additional unique support which can be provided to almshouses.  

This could include:

  • Targeted funding for historic and listed buildings through trusted, registered providers who can bring these buildings into the 21st Century, whilst respecting the building’s natural heritage
  • Longer deadlines to become EPC compliant as many would struggle to bring themselves into line with an EPC C by 2035 without other interventions
  • Exemptions to continue for buildings which have proven attempts to improve energy efficiency. Currently, if £3,000 is invested in energy improvements and the EPC is still below requirements, an exemption is granted. If alternative support cannot be provided then some would have no choice but to seek an exemption.

We look forward to working with the Government on these proposals so that almshouse charities can be clear as to their role in our greener future.

Members may wish to view the full White Paper here.

If you have any thoughts on the proposals then please email Jack Baldan at jackbaldan@almshouses.org

Posted 15 December 20

Merry Christmas from The Almshouse Association

Dear all,

The Almshouse Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members, trustees, clerks, wardens, volunteers, supporters and donors for all that you have done this year to support the almshouse movement. especially when so many of you have had your own challenges and commitments to take care of.

It is no exaggeration to say that it has been a dreadful year and maybe many people will not be celebrating Christmas. Covid has been such a pain, not just impacting our daily routine, but it seems to have seeped into our very psyche! It has made people ill directly and those it has not touched directly, it has made them scared and miserable. But! We are, however, surprisingly optimistic about the year ahead. It is so often said that you only appreciate “it” when “it” has gone. Friendship and community means everything in the almshouse world and this past year, we have desperately missed the company of others, meeting friends, sharing a chat, tea together, the relaxed atmosphere of a busy friendly pub, parties and celebrations, warm hugs and kisses – the thought of getting that all back is making us so excited. We feel that there really is now a light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting so much brighter and closer. We can actually dare to imagine life getting back to normal. It will be different for a while, we have all been knocked off our feet this year, one way or another, but we know we will really appreciate time spent with others that maybe we were too busy to appreciate before.

And, here at the Association in 2021 we will be celebrating 75 years of supporting and representing almshouses charities, we intend to celebrate the great work of almshouses, all the hard work of the trustees, clerks, wardens, volunteers, sponsors and donors, for keeping the spirit and function of almshouses going and keeping our almshouse residents warm and safe and loved.

We all wish you, your families and residents a peaceful, safe and warm Christmas and a bright, positive New Year!

Posted 16 December 2020

Christmas Bubbles

Guidance has been published regarding Christmas bubbles which can be formed between December 23rd and 27th.

The Government announced that three households can meet during this period to celebrate Christmas. The following points are also worth highlighting:

  • You can only be in one Christmas bubble and cannot change your Christmas bubble
  • You can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
  • You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
  • You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble, outside your home, according to the rules in the tier where you are staying
  • You cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble
  • You must not form a Christmas bubble if you have coronavirus symptoms or are self-isolating.
  • Existing support bubbles count as one household towards the three-household limit
  • If someone is in your Christmas bubble, you can visit each other’s homes and stay overnight, including in private rented accommodation. You can also go to a place of worship together, or meet in public outdoor spaces. You cannot meet your Christmas bubble in any other indoor setting, such as a pub, hotel, shop, theatre, or restaurant.
  • You may form a different Christmas bubble from the people you live with normally. If you and the people you are living with want to be in different Christmas bubbles, you can choose to stay somewhere else with different people for this period and form a Christmas bubble with that household and one other household (this will count as three households) – guidance here
  • The guidance notes that “forming a bubble if you are vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable carries additional risks – see advice for clinically vulnerable people”

Posted 11 December 20

Policy & Governance update – December 2020

Each month, the Association posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our November/December 2020 Summary.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

  • Protection for renters – MHCLG have reiterated the protections for renters, apart from exceptional circumstances, from eviction during national restrictions and over the Christmas period. Evictions cannot be enforced by bailiffs until 11th January, with the 14 days’ notice required meaning that no action should be taken before January 25th.
  • Spending Review/LHA Freeze – The Chancellor made a number of announcements during the annual Spending Review. This year the review only provides funding to Government departments for one year, rather than the usual three years. The most significant announcement for almshouses is that Local Housing Allowance rates will be frozen from April 2021. This decision will result in as cut in housing benefit when taking inflation into account.
  • Immigration and Social Security Co-Ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 – The Government has passed its reforms to immigration ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period. The new rules:
    • End freedom of movement
    • Make EU, EEA and Swiss citizens subject to UK immigration controls
    • Makes a provision to protect Irish citizens’ immigration rights
    • Provides a power to amend retained EU legislation relation to social security co-ordination
    • Any members who employ EU nationals should look into how the change in law may affect them.
  • Universal Credit direct rent payments to social landlords – A change has been made through the Universal Credit Landlord Portal so that social landlords receive direct rent payments on the same cycle as their tenants receive their benefits. Members may wish to make themselves familiar with this system if they feel it would help them more easily collect their WMC. It should be noted that applications to enrol on the system are currently closed.

Coronavirus

Christmas Bubbles

Guidance has been published regarding Christmas bubbles which can be formed between December 23rd and 27th. The Government announced that three households can meet during this period to celebrate Christmas. The following points are also worth highlighting:

  • You can only be in one Christmas bubble and cannot change your Christmas bubble
  • You can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
  • You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
  • You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble, outside your home, according to the rules in the tier where you are staying
  • You cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble
  • You must not form a Christmas bubble if you have coronavirus symptoms or are self-isolating.
  • Existing support bubbles count as one household towards the three-household limit
  • If someone is in your Christmas bubble, you can visit each other’s homes and stay overnight, including in private rented accommodation. You can also go to a place of worship together, or meet in public outdoor spaces. You cannot meet your Christmas bubble in any other indoor setting, such as a pub, hotel, shop, theatre, or restaurant.
  • You may form a different Christmas bubble from the people you live with normally. If you and the people you are living with want to be in different Christmas bubbles, you can choose to stay somewhere else with different people for this period and form a Christmas bubble with that household and one other household (this will count as three households) – guidance here
  • The guidance notes that “forming a bubble if you are vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable carries additional risks – see advice for clinically vulnerable people”

Previous Policy and Governance Updates:

Policy and Governance – October 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – September 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – July/August 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – June 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – May 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – Apr 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – Mar 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – Feb 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance –Jan 2020 Summary
Policy and Governance – 2019 Summary

Posted 11 December 20

YouGov poll: Almshouses

76% of the general public view almshouses as an important form of housing, according to YouGov*

Research carried out by YouGov, on behalf of The Almshouse Association, found that 76% of respondents believe almshouses are an important form of housing, but … 84% of people were not aware of any almshouses in their local area.

The research forms part of The Almshouse Association’s plans to establish a better understanding of almshouses amongst the general public and in Government. The Association is proud to see respondents recognise that almshouses are a vital part of the housing sector. However, the research also highlighted challenges ahead for the almshouse movement. It is clear that many people (84%) are not aware of a local almshouse, and whilst more than half of over 55s had heard of almshouses, overall, 65% of those who undertook the survey, were not very clear on what an almshouse actually is. Members will no doubt be familiar with this challenge.

At The Almshouse Association, as we approach our 75th anniversary in 2021, we will embrace this challenge.

We will use our anniversary and your community events to push for wider recognition of your work and greater understanding of the vital service that almshouses provide across the country.

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2001 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 18th – 19th November 2020.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Posted 30 November 20