Case Study
ForHousing offers Housing Perks to its 17,000 tenants in the West Midlands.
Case Study
Wakefield District Housing (WDH) is one of the largest social landlords in the North of England, managing 30,000 properties. Many of WDH’s tenants face financial challenges, with the average wages in the area being lower than both regional and national levels. Additionally, 16% of the population live in areas ranked among the top 10% most deprived in England, and 15% of households are considered ‘fuel poor’ due to low energy efficiency and high heating costs. In such a challenging environment, WDH aimed to find innovative ways to support tenants struggling with rent arrears.
Housing Perks partnered with WDH to co-create a solution allowing tenants to contribute to their rent arrears as they shop. Through the Housing Perks mobile app, tenants can earn savings from everyday purchases at participating retailers, which are automatically applied towards their rent arrears. This eliminates the need for tenants to make difficult financial decisions while also making paying arrears a habit.
Since the introduction of Housing Perks, 90% of tenants who made a rent contribution went on to make another. On average, tenants contribute £5 each time they shop. 50% of tenants who made a contribution are in arrears. Tenants are on track to pay £26,000 in the first 12 months towards their rent and arrears and this figure projected to grow as more tenants engage with the program.
“I really like the app. Being able to contribute to my rent while I shop takes a few seconds and costs nothing. Why not?”
Tracy from Wakefield, WDH Tenant
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