Apex Observer Issue 32: Winter 2024 Apex supports safe lending campaign this Christmas Apex has joined other organisations in the north west to highlight the importance of responsible lending and spending through a billboard campaign. Read full story on page 6 >>Contents 2 Chair’s statement – Winter 2024 3 Apex supports safe lending campaign this Christmas 6 Filling the gaps 8 New homes in Newry providing more independence 10 Planning progress for Meenan Square 11 A tribute to Liam McCafferty 12 Our new office in Dungannon 13 Do we have your correct details? 14 Helping you ‘Move to UC’ 15 Ways to pay your rent 17 Tackling tenancy fraud 18 Connected communities 20 Impact of shared housing celebrated 22 Test out our Tenant Portal 24 Apex in Bloom winners 25 Community garden revitalised 28 Celebrating 30 years of vital support 30 New friends love Mullagh House 32 Kaylee braves the shave for Macmillan 34 Supporting children in Tanzania 36 How we performed in 2023-24 38 Value for Money statement 2023-2024 40 Get ready for winter 41 Weathering the storm – flood advice 42 Apex contacts and holiday closures 44chair’s statement continued > Chair’s statement - Winter 2024 3 Responding to the housing crisis by Peter Caldwell - Chair of Apex Is there a housing crisis or are we in a housing emergency? The demand for social housing certainly suggests so. With around 48,000 households on the waiting list, an increase of 6% in just one year, and 75% of these households in housing stress, the statistics support this view. More concerning, however, is our ability to respond in light of recent budget announcements. While we were concerned about the cut to the Social Housing Development Programme in 2023/24, which resulted in only 1,500 new homes being started instead of the 2,000 planned; in 2024/25 the situation hasn’t improved. Adding to this challenge, NI Water has announced that around 19,000 sewer connections cannot be made across Northern Ireland due to cuts to their budget over the next three years, with a further 18,000 requiring developer funded solutions. chair’s statement continued > Chair’s statement - Winter 2024 4 This perfect storm could severely impact the delivery of urgently needed homes at a time when the housing crisis is at its peak. Chair’s statement - Winter 2024 5 next story > New homes recently completed at Craigmore View, Newry This ‘perfect storm’ could severely impact the delivery of urgently needed homes at a time when the housing crisis is at its peak. Collaborative action is essential, and we must work at speed. At Apex, we’re ready to respond. We have a delivery pipeline and private finance in place but cannot proceed without adequate Housing Association Grant; and without sewer connections we cannot hand over completed homes to those on the waiting list. We need to innovate to meet this challenge and find new solutions to deliver much needed, high-quality housing; a basic right for all in society. Peter Caldwell Chair of Apexstory continued > Christmas campaign 6 Apex supports safe lending campaign this Christmas This festive season, it’s important to remember that ‘The perfect Christmas’ doesn’t have to mean overspending and debt. Apex has joined other organisations in the north west to highlight the importance of responsible lending and spending through a billboard campaign. Mayor launches Responsible Lending, Responsible spending Campaign next story > Apex is working with Foyle Network Foundation, Community Restorative Justice, ASK advice service, Skeoge Community Hub; and Derry, Waterside and Pennyburn Credit Unions, to highlight the risks of illegal and high interest lenders. If you are struggling to afford Christmas this year, Apex’s Welfare Advice Team can help by providing budgeting advice, signposting to reputable lenders and carrying out benefit checks. Tel: 028 7130 4800 Email: welfareadvice@apex.org.uk Christmas campaign 7 Hayley Canning, Apex Welfare Advice Officer, explains: “Christmas is a time of year when money worries can be particularly high, as families spend, on average, more than £700 extra in December than they would in other months. Through this campaign, we are encouraging our tenants to be mindful of their spending habits over the festive period and to stay away from illegal and high interest lenders. These types of loans may seem like a good idea to help cover Christmas spending but can have a huge impact longer term if you’re unable to repay what you owe.”Development update 8 story continued > Grays Lane Mews, Belfast Filling the gaps By Siobhan Porter, Apex Architect We build fantastic new homes for those in need, but we also have a responsibility to provide local communities with buildings that provide an interesting backdrop to their everyday lives. Shore Road is an important arterial route between Belfast and Newtownabbey. It’s important that this busy route remains vibrant and that sites that become vacant are brought back to life with thoughtful design solutions. Development update 9 next story > Filling the gaps ... continued When the opportunity arose to build on two derelict sites either side of the Gray’s Lane junction with Shore Road, we seized the chance to repair the streetscape and provide complementary developments that are distinctive and can be seen as path finders to Gray’s Lane. We completed our first Gray’s Lane development of five homes in 2020 and have followed up with a second development of 13 new homes earlier this year. We hope our new tenants enjoy living in homes that present a very positive image to the many hundreds of people who drive past them every day. The homes completed at Grays Lane, Belfast in 2020 Next >