Greater Nottingham Healthy Housing Service
Introduction
Greater Nottingham Healthy Housing Service (GNHHS) is a borough wide cross-cutting referral agency developed to eradicate fuel poverty.
The service targets the most deprived private sector households with a specific emphasis on pregnant mothers, families with children under 16, disabled persons and the over 60's. It has a high profile both nationally and Locally and ensured Nottingham is the leading authority in the East Midlands for energy grant referrals.
The project addresses the housing needs of vulnerable people through five core areas:
- Energy efficiency
- Health
- Housing standards
- Home safety
- Environment
Goals and objectives
The aim of the service is to eradicate fuel poverty in the Greater Nottingham area by maximising the take-up of grants for insulation and heating measures through cooperation between Health, Social Services, the Voluntary sector and Housing Professionals.
The main objectives are:
- Collaborate with strategic planners across sectors to ensure issues of fuel poverty are incorporated into local policy initiatives.
- Encourage key stakeholders including Nottingham City and Nottingham County Council, the Primary Care Trusts and Social Services to commit resources to sustain the service.
- Increase energy awareness for key staff in all sectors by providing training; explaining the links between cold-homes and ill health and how to use GNHHS referral system to access the energy grants available to those more vulnerable people in society.
- Focus on those who need the help most by targeting households in key areas of deprivation and working with local partners who have the knowledge to identify them.