Property Management for Councils & Local Authorities

HCR’s ‘hidden’ division

Many of our clients are unaware that HCR has a specialist property management division. Over the last 4 years, HCR has been managing a local authority’s temporary accommodation and accommodation provided to Rough Sleepers.

HCR is generally known as a Global Relocation Company, providing first class relocation services inbound to the UK, domestically within the UK and managing moves to overseas destinations for globally known brands and Governments. So, it seems odd that HCR is managing property that houses the statutory homeless and those who used to live on the streets.

However, HCR has a long and illustrious history of providing accommodation. In 1996, HCR started providing homes sourced from the private rental sector (PRS) for military personnel for the MoD. At its peak, HCR were providing accommodation for 8,000 people a year.

In 2014, HCR started the MYTAS service (www.mytas.co.uk) providing fixed cost, all inclusive, rented accommodation for a wide range of clients including two substantial professional services organisations. This accommodation allowed their staff to rotate through the property and gave a known cost to overcome the traditional issues of late and erratic billing affecting the Benefit in Kind calculations. It also helped that (generally) the MYTAS accommodation was also 25-30% less expensive than Serviced Accommodation and typically had a larger living-space footprint.

Extending our capability

Like most good companies, extending our service range was the product of continuous improvement and innovation. We knew we could manage the finances and provide the necessary cashflow because our systems were robust and very scalable. Since we currently treat each relocation case as a unique project both on our case management system and in our finance system, we were able to treat each property in exactly the same way.

We already had in place a comprehensive property repairs and maintenance portal in 40 languages, and it was graphics based for easy understanding. We also had a 24/7-365 property emergency helpline and office hours staff who know their eaves from their stop-cock.

We can do it

Any combination of factors that includes property, landlords, letting agents, rents, utilities, furniture, neighbours, communal areas, tradespeople, legislation, risk, safety and the myriad of other elements that are involved in providing somewhere to live, is going to be complex to manage.

However, as experts in relocation and providing property, we have the experience and knowledge. We carefully separate the physical aspects of managing a property from the social aspects of providing outstanding customer service and ensuring the occupant’s welfare.

When we manage the property owned by the local authority, we have the systems and platforms to ensure that cyclical, preventive, corrective and reactive maintenance is completed on time and accurately recorded. We work with local tradespeople who provide real value for money and quality work for swift repairs, all backed up with tried and tested processes and reviews.

There’s a homeless crisis

People lose their homes for a wide variety of reasons. The Council will give them a roof over their head, but it won’t be straight into Social Housing; there simply aren’t enough being built.

The Council is obliged by law to provide accommodation. Often, they will use ‘nightly lets’, paying a significant cost per night, often to owners of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) or Hotels to provide a room to the homeless. In the last decade, the Council has started buying their own property or converting old offices, cinemas, nightclubs and derelict apartment blocks to create their own pool of temporary accommodation (TA).

The HCR team will assist with fitting out the TA property to create a home and then taking a 360-degree photographic and descriptive record of each unit or dwelling. We will then move the occupant into the TA from the hotel or bed & breakfast location, sometimes providing food vouchers and basic furniture.

We will regularly check on the occupants and support them where we can, signposting them to charitable and Council support. We will get involved in the inevitable anti-social behaviour, mediating in neighbour disputes or facilitating a move to a new location.

Many of those who find themselves in TA or specialist blocks for Rough Sleepers will have complex needs such as alcohol, drugs, mental health and relationship issues, and the HCR team will support them.

Eventually, together with the Council, we hope to move them out of TA into their long-term home where they can stay, settle down and rebuild their lives. Sadly, it is taking years because demand far outweighs supply.

For HCR and the team, it is rewarding, always exciting and constantly changing service. Just like ‘regular’ relocation for our corporate and other clients!