Social Impact
Social Housing providers go far beyond merely allocating and upkeeping the homes they provide. This value experienced by tenants, particularly in areas of vulnerability, be that in the current crisis or seen through existing SIMD statistics are massively important. The difference made through interventions of programmes run by housing associations are rarely reported in the same way as financial value is, and SFHA aim to support our members to be able to measure and demonstrate the impact of this work.
With Scottish Government current affordable housing programme significantly affected its final year by the COVID pandemic, it is vitally important that social housing can demonstrate the additional value it provides to residents within the communities in which they operate. With the previous programme aiming to deliver 35,000 of the 50,000 target for social rent, all evidence to build on this level of investment could be significant in terms of providing not only much needed housing, but also support for tenants against the trauma of poverty and poor physical and mental health .
Through SFHA’s innovation programme, we aim to increase the ability of our members to measure and demonstrate the impact of their brilliant work
As part of The Housing Impact Manifesto, we have been working to find a common impact framework for the Scottish housing sector, aiming to provide a flexible, proportionate, realistic and achievable approach to support and advise housing providers how to use social value to create better decision making and outcomes, through a practical toolkit which should be available to members in coming weeks.
Based on Wellbeing Valuation, we will provide associations with the ability to measure the success of a social intervention by how much it increases the wellbeing of local residents, which is widely regarded as useful common currency for improvements to society.
Make An Impact!
Sign up to SFHA Impact Manifesto and find out more about the importance of measuring impact to show the added value of social housing providers
Check out Covid impact measures showing the impact that social housing providers have had in supporting their tenants during the pandemic.
Follow us on Twitter @InnovationSfha and find out more!
Know your value!
If you haven’t already, please sign up to SFHA Impact Manifesto, it might help you know even more about how housing associations can measure their impact through the social value they create
Please check out Scotland’s National Performance Framework to see how the wellbeing approach can be incorporated into all areas of life, measuring across a range of economic, social and environmental indicators.
Also, download free Social Value Calculator and test out using some of the impact created by the work you are involved in!
Social Value Champion!
If you haven’t already, please sign up to SFHA Impact Manifesto, as you would be a great person to be involved!
Also, please check out First Minister's Ted Talk about Wellbeing, discussing the importance of success in more than just a financial impact.
Please follow our twitter feed @InnovationSfha and Housing Scotland Weekly for news on forthcoming Social Value toolkit to provide you with practical resource to measure and increase the impact your association has within their communities.