Social housing providers are coming under increased pressure through a mix of demand outstripping supply, government legislation and a change in population. Government policies such as Universal Credit, the 1% rent reduction and the extension of Right to Buy have put this sector under financial strain. The Office for National Statistics projects the UK population will grow by 3.6 million over the next 10 years passing 70 million by 2029 so the demand for social housing will come under even more pressure.
Having worked with some of the largest housing associations in the UK, Bloom understands these pressures. We allow overstretched procurement teams to focus on strategic issues, adding more benefit to their association as a result. We have helped these customers to procure professional services across all categories such as ICT, Construction and Fire Safety Inspections.
Rough sleeping remains a significant and growing problem in the UK.
The total number of rough sleepers in the UK has increased by 165% since 2010. Over 120,000 children are housed in temporary accommodation, with the number of people in temporary accommodation at its highest in over 10 years. Over the past year, there has been an 11.4% increase in the number of households assessed by local authorities as either homeless or threatened with homelessness.
The rise in homelessness is a very visual demonstration of the challenges that local authorities and housing are facing in helping everyone to achieve those fundamentals. Homelessness is at the acute end of a long journey into housing crisis, which, at the other end, includes families and individuals experiencing challenges that are causing housing stress for the very first time.
If you would like to know more about each of the categories available please view our downloadable PDF guide.
Bath & North East Somerset Council were looking to analyse the effectiveness of its facilities management, maintenance, construction, business support and property investment activities, to make improvements and to assess whether they had the right level of resources and structure in place.
Recognising the need for an external appraisal, Bath & North East Somerset Council approached the Bloom marketplace to identify a supplier capable of delivering an insightful options appraisal and benchmarking capability to inform the future strategic decisions of the council.
We understand our responsibility as we grow to build an ethical, unique and inspiring business. We align ourselves with the core issues and values that matter most to our stakeholders, ensuring that what we do fulfills the needs of current generations without compromising those of the future.
Social Value was the beginning of our journey to sustainability. It remains an integral part of who we are, reaffirming our mission to make it easier for our public sector customers to deliver on their social value goals and objectives through our marketplace. Today, we are proud to call Bloom Essential the home of sustainability and social value at Bloom.