New initiative for employment and housing support under one roof
Hackney Homes residents are set to benefit from employment and housing support all under one roof, thanks to a new Council initiative.
Hackney Council and Hackney Homes have joined forces to launch a new pilot programme to help residents from local estates find jobs while also receiving housing advice and support, all in one location.
Taking place every Wednesday from 1:30– 5pm at the Hackney Opportunity Hub, on the corner of Pitfield Street in Hoxton, residents will have the chance to meet and register with the Council’s Ways into Work team, who match local people to local jobs, as well as offering employment training schemes and apprenticeships.
Hackney Homes Estate Management Officers will also be available to provide advice and support about tenancy matters, anti-social behaviour, insurance claims, parking, rent or service charges, repairs and many more besides.
Open now, the weekly employment and housing support sessions are currently for residents from the following Hackney Homes estates: Charles Square, Fairbank, Follingham Court, Haberdasher, Pitfield, Provost, Shepherdess Walk, Shepherds Market and St Johns.
Hackney Homes are also looking at how they can work with Tenant Management Organisations who manage other local estates.If popular, the initiative will be introduced in other areas of Hackney after November.
Using the Opportunity Hub in Hoxton as a one-stop-shop for both employment and housing support is great for nearby estate residents to get help finding a job or to access training, while also meeting local estate teams to have their questions answered.
Created out of an underused community hall, the Opportunity Hub, is about bridging the divide between the booming local economy and local people. We hope to help local residents with new skills while connecting them with employment and training opportunities in nearby Shoreditch and across the borough.
The Opportunity Hub is designed to help all resident’s access new job and training opportunities in the borough with special events, after-school sessions and free-to-use computers and Wi-Fi.
The Hackney Opportunity Hub can be found at 137-139 Bowling Green Walk, on the Corner of Pitfield Street, N1 6AL.
For more information about the Hackney Opportunity Hub, visit: www.investinhackney.org/opportunity-hub
To find out more about Ways into Work, and to register online for the service, visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/wiw