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Life-Changing Support: How Glen Oaks Housing Association Empowers Tenants Through Crisis

By Brenda Whitelaw

I am the Community Initiatives Manager at Glen Oaks Housing Association in Glasgow. I manage the goConnect project, which is dedicated to supporting tenants through difficult times. This includes those struggling with money worries, illnesses, addiction, mental health issues, or homes unsuitable due to age or mobility issues. We aim to guide and support tenants through challenges, offering opportunities for them to learn new skills, socialize, improve their lives, and ultimately prevent homelessness by helping them feel secure in their homes and communities. 

goConnect, now in its seventh year, serves over 1,300 tenants across the Arden, Darnley, and Pollok areas of Glasgow. We provide services ranging from financial advice to digital inclusion, ensuring tenants have access to vital resources. Our approach focuses on intervening early, offering advice and referrals to specialist services before crises escalate. 

Cost of living crisis 

The cost-of-living crisis over the past year has placed immense strain on many of our tenants. To help, our team worked hard to secure £27,800 in fuel and food vouchers, which were distributed to our most vulnerable households. We also partnered with Cash for Kids to make Christmas special for families who may not have been able to afford gifts. Altogether, we secured £115,435 in funding to support our services. This year, our team helped 989 tenants, ran 17 regular classes and events, and achieved financial gains of £1,065,056. 

Practical support 

To give just one example of our work, one of our tenants, Jane, and her 19-year-old son received crucial support during one of the toughest periods of their lives. Jane, who had worked as a nurse, was forced to stop due to serious health issues. Jane felt overwhelmed as her rent arrears began to accumulate and her benefits were stopped due to an error. When she reached out to us, we helped reinstate her benefits, provided ongoing mental health support, and cleared her rent arrears, removing the threat of court action. 

Making an impact 

We are proud to have secured £78,000 through the Advice in Accessible Settings fund from the Scottish Government, which is managed by AdviceUK, enabling us to hire an additional Welfare Officer. This role is critical to our work, particularly because the areas we serve rank in the bottom 2%–29% on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Without this funding, the poverty in our community would deepen, and we would struggle to deliver the essential services that tenants need. 

Our Money Advisors have made an enormous impact on tenants’ lives. In the past year alone, they helped 299 people—almost a quarter of our tenants—resulting in financial gains of £935,000. For many, this support meant they no longer had to choose between heating their homes and eating during the winter. 

We see firsthand how advice can positively change lives. It is a privilege to improve people’s lives through our work. Building confidence and providing opportunities for tenants to pursue training, careers, and hobbies plays a critical role in helping them lead happier, more fulfilled lives.