Previous Projects

Funded by Rochdale Council

Helping private rented tenants to maintain their tenancies via support with Universal Credit and associated issues, budgeting support and help to access services online and improve digital confidence. The project supported 159 vulnerable and excluded tenants with all aspects of their Universal Credit claims and associated issues and achieved a financial gain for service users via benefit take up of Universal Credit, associated benefits and grant assistance of £602,834.89.

Funded by Comic Relief

The project provided 1:1 coaching and workshops for young homeless people to enable them to sustain new homes and support them to access education, employment and training. 90% of young people under 25 successfully maintained their tenancies, with 32 young people taking up education, training and employment opportunities. 60% of service users reported increased  confidence in managing money.

Funded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation

The project recruited and trained volunteers to provide additional support for homeless and vulnerable private rented sector tenants to help them to find and maintain homes. The Volunteers were also supported to achieve accredited qualifications to enable them to move closer to formal education and paid work opportunities. 18 volunteers moved on to paid employment, two of whom took up positions at The Bond Board.

Funded by Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group.

A partnership project between Rochdale Bond Board and Rochdale Citizens Advice Bureau. The project worked with tenants of private rented properties in the Rochdale Borough. The project supported tenants with the relief of food and fuel poverty by maximising incomes and enabled tenants to improve their mental wellbeing. Outcomes included 49 service users receiving a free energy efficiency boiler and a £163,694.88 financial gain for service users via benefit take up.

Funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation

Support for homeless and private rented sector tenants in Bolton to access accommodation, manage their tenancies and improve their health and wellbeing. Support included practical help to enable homeless people to find suitable accommodation in the private rented sector and support for those struggling to maintain their homes due to issues such as rent arrears, benefit problems and changes of circumstances. Over 6 years the project enabled 500 homeless households to  get housed and move on to a brighter future

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund

Providing intensive support for homeless and private rented sector tenants in crisis, a  specialist Welfare Rights advice service, a service user  ‘Sustainable Livelihoods’ participatory research project and an innovative volunteer led furniture and house moving scheme. Outcomes included over 700 people with improved circumstances, including access to housing, maintaining tenancies and managing crisis. Over £1.5 million was put back into people’s pockets via benefit take up and debt reduction support. Isolation and loneliness were key themes to emerge for the research, which we are aiming to address via new opportunities for people to come together and have their voices heard.

Funded by the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity

An early intervention homeless prevention service for private rented tenants at risk of homelessness in Wigan and Oldham during Covid 19. The service provided landlord/tenant mediation advising about legal rights and responsibilities and provided support for both parties with the aim of brokering consensus to prevent tenants from losing their homes. The service supported 99 households. 62 households reported an increase in knowledge about their housing rights and responsibilities. 61 households reported an improvement in mental wellbeing  and 31 households were prevented from becoming homeless.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund

An early intervention homeless prevention service for private rented tenants at risk of homelessness in Rochdale and Wigan during Covid 19. The service provided landlord/tenant mediation advising about legal rights and responsibilities and provided support for both parties with the aim of brokering consensus to prevent tenants from losing their homes. The service supported 104  households. 70 households reported an increase in awareness of their tenancy rights and responsibilities.71 households reported an improvement in mental wellbeing and 55 households were prevented from becoming homeless.

Funded by the Greater Manchester Homes Partnership

A bespoke programme and a precursor to Housing First. The Social Impact Bond aimed to house the most entrenched homeless households in Greater Manchester and offer holistic support. Providing help and access to the private rented sector, The Bond Board was successful in housing 25 people in Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Wigan and Oldham, with many people still maintaining tenancies years later, highlighting the successful impact of the project.

Funded by Nationwide Community Grant

Offering security and flexibility for people moving into the private rented sector, the project worked with landlords and tenants to help meet individual need. With tenancies issued for up to two years, this helped provide security and certainty for people who had previously had a number of moves in a relatively short space of time. With over 20 tenancies issued, including short term placements and long term tenancies, the project enables us to identify motivations, challenges and means of overcoming barriers to finding suitable housing options and meeting individual need.

Funded by Nationwide Foundation

Our Fair Housing Futures project came to an end in March 2022 after a very successful two year period. Aimed at improving relations in the PRS and increasing confidence and knowledge in a variety of areas for landlords and tenants, the project trained 219 PRS professionals on a variety of subjects including legal responsibilities, changing legislation and possession rules and appropriate ways to manage existing tenancies in a Covid world. We helped and advised over 170 tenants and landlords in the Private Rented Sector on a 1:1 basis, helping reduce rent arrears and prevent homelessness and explaining a tenant’s rights to those who felt they needed impartial advice. Exceeding our initial aims despite the impact of Covid, we have left a legacy of landlords engaging with The Bond Board, increased partnership working with other PRS agencies in the region and over 200 landlords with improved knowledge and skills in managing a property.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund

A 5 year participatory arts based research project which enabled services users to have their voices heard and influence decision making at The Bond Board and wider social policy agendas. The project ended in 2022, with service users have identified issues around social isolation, loneliness, wellbeing and lack of social spaces and activities for inter-generational socialising as priority areas for services and policy makers to address.

Funded by The Postcode Neighbourhood Trust

The Postcode Neighbourhood Trust is entirely funded by players of the People’s Lottery. The funding provided training and support for staff and volunteers to ensure safe working practices and quality advice for homeless people during Covid 19.