"When you give tenants the right tool, they do want to help themselves and they do want to engage."
We spoke with Rhona Penman, Advice Service Coordinator at Link Housing. Link Housing are a social housing provider who faced a significant challenge: reaching tenants who needed support but were reluctant to ask for it. With a 40% increase in demand due to the cost of living crisis, their team was stretched thin, struggling to engage vulnerable tenants - particularly single men, who were at high risk of tenancy failure but avoided seeking help.
Determined to find a solution, Link Housing collaborated with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), resulting in a partnership with Lightning Reach enabling tenants to find support independently. The aim was to remove engagement barriers and make it easier for tenants to seek help on their own terms.
Breaking down barriers to engagement
After partnering with Lightning Reach, Link Housing used a data-led, targeted approach to reach key groups, starting with single men and pensioners. They sent 300 SMS messages targeting each group, highlighting the simplicity and privacy of the platform.
“They didn’t want to put their hand up and ask for help, but they recognised they needed it and were willing to deal with it themselves.”
The results?
Within 2 hours, 10% of contacted single men logged in, created profiles and were matched with support.
In just a few days, 20% of pensioners created profiles to find support. These results highlighted that older tenants were more receptive than expected, provided the message came from a trusted source.
Empowering tenants while reducing staff workload
The impact of Lightning Reach has been tangible, helping tenants find vital financial support:
959 tenants accessed the portal, with 78% completing their profile.
74.3% actively engaged with support, completing applications and benefit checks.
£36k in financial support and £49.7k in benefits were identified.
With 94% of tenants searching for support without assistance, staff could prioritise proactive support rather than spending time signposting grants. This also allowed them to focus on their own support scheme, ensuring faster processing for those who needed additional help.
“What we found is only 6% required staff support, the rest managed it themselves, which is a huge positive.”
Leading the way in social housing engagement
Lightning Reach has transformed how Link Housing connects with vulnerable tenants, ensuring they receive the support they need. Following its success in engaging hard-to-reach groups, Link Housing is now expanding outreach to lone parents and other under-engaged tenants.
Their results have gained wider sector recognition, with Link Housing invited to share their experience at industry conferences, inspiring other housing providers to adopt a similar approach.
“We’ve had other housing associations asking about Lightning Reach, and we want to share our success as much as possible.”
By successfully removing barriers to engagement and allowing tenants to seek help on their own terms, Link Housing has set a new standard for tenant engagement in social housing.
“One of the things that a lot of tenants have said to us is how much they appreciated getting something good and positive at a time where everything has been getting more expensive. It’s so refreshing to hear.”
Join us
Want to find out more about how Lightning Reach can help your organisation? Get in touch via www.lightningreach.org/partners
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