Supporters wall

“The leading role that Communities that Work is taking in advocating for the vital role housing plays in developing employment opportunities has the full support of the G15. We support their campaign for the next government to create A Future that Works and end employment poverty.

More needs to be done to support people into meaningful employment and create opportunities for them to rise out of employment poverty. Communities that Work are
developing the solutions to change employment support for the better.”

"I have supported the work of Communities that Work for a number of years. Their latest campaign ‘A Future that Works’ is highlighting some of the most pressing employment concerns.  

We need action to support into work those who want to work – through initiatives such as ‘Jobs Plus’."  April 2024

"Social housing providers play such an important role in helping developing people’s skills and supporting them into employment, and housing associations have a long history of doing this. The work that Communities that Work is doing is already changing the lives of so many and we’re proud to support it in its goal of creating opportunity and helping communities to thrive."

“We’re proud to be joining forces with Communities that Work on this campaign. It’s vital that the next government makes sure housing associations have a seat at the table when new employment programmes and initiatives are being mapped out.

As community anchors, social landlords like Clarion can collaborate with partners to bridge gaps and create opportunities. We want to ensure that no one is left behind, but we need a partnership with government to maximise our impact.”

"We are delighted to support Communities that Work and their 'A Future that Works' campaign. We need the next government to recognise that housing providers are in a unique position to provide vital support in the communities they serve to help people into work, and to provide more jobs.

The day-to-day work of social housing providers directly contributes over £4 billion a year to the North’s economy and supports over 70,000 jobs. And the sector could do even more.

With the right investment from government, a social housing retrofit revolution in the north, could create 77,000 good green jobs over the next ten years. We are ready to work with the next government to create even more opportunities for people across the North"

“Some people might ask ‘why housing providers’, as there’s no immediate link, but why not? We’re building on the day-to-day relationships with our residents, tenants, and local communities.

We already know what the individual and local needs are in the area, and we’ve got established relationships. I think if you we’ve got that, then you’re already 50% of the way there with actually making some sort of inroads into employability.”

“The next government should work to leverage social housing’s role as ‘anchor institutions’ to create partnerships and drive change in their communities.

The housing sector is best placed to support some of the most vulnerable residents into meaningful employment and drive down economic inactivity.”

“We support Communities that Work in advocating for  the next government to make addressing employment poverty a priority, and to deliver improved employment support to help economically inactive people back into the workforce.

Over 1.7m economically inactive people want to work but lack the opportunities and support they need to make their ambition a reality. The new government must address this and unleash their frustrated economic potential.”

“I support Communities that Work who are championing the strengthening of local partnerships
and services to help more people into work. This initiative brings fresh impetus to support the 1.7 million economically inactive people who want to work.”

"GMHP stands with Communities that Work and their campaign calling on the next Government to end employment poverty. Housing associations are the second biggest investor in employment support and are ready to work with the Government and the DWP to create A Future that Works and help those who most need support into work."

"Communities that Work provides amazing support and work advocating for more employment support.

People living in social housing face more barriers to employment, and we must change and improve how we are supporting them into meaningful work. Tackling the barriers benefits us all."

"We are facing a skills shortage, acutely in the construction sector and if we are to build a new generation of social housing which will provide a safe, secure and affordable home for every household to thrive, we will need a skilled workforce to deliver these homes.  Eliminating the obstacles which prevent people who want to work but face barriers is crucial to meeting this challenge.  Communities that Work is highlighting and campaigning for support that is vital to solving the employment and skills crisis and ARCH is proud to support their work."

“The NFA has supported the work of Communities that Work for a number of years. Our members are local-authority owned housing management organisations (ALMOs) that do excellent work in their communities to tie together housing and employment support, reducing barriers to work so that tenants and communities can improve their lives. There is a huge untapped potential in our communities, and a massive opportunity to tie together this potential with areas of skills shortages, such as new ‘green jobs’, construction and retrofit work, and housing management. We fully support the Future that Works campaign and the need to make sure that local authorities and ALMOs are part of strong local partnerships and services alongside tenants and communities.”

"We are facing a skills shortage and there are millions of people who want to work but face barriers to enter work.

The work that Communities that Work are doing to highlight this and campaign for better wrap around support is vital to solving the employment and skills crisis."

"Postcode stigma has had significant impacts on the abilities of tenants to work. Those in work are also stigmatized for living in social housing. Stigma in social housing is complex because it intertwines with other stigmas such as employment and class, poverty and benefits, race and immigration, mental health and disability, ageism, and geography. All these stigmas affect the life chances of those living in social housing.

Communities that Work is committed to raising awareness, advocating, and lobbying for policy reforms to address the issues of employment poverty and in-work poverty. Through proper investment, policy changes, commitment, and support, these issues can be addressed.

As an academic who has had opportunities to engage with the valuable advocacy work of Communities that Work, I am pleased to support this initiative."

"We need to fundamentally change how we are supporting people who want to work into work. Communities that Work are advocating for and creating real impact in the development of creating meaningful employment support. Recognising the critical link between housing and employment is vital to improving the lives of millions

The advocacy work that Communities that Work is undertaking to create fundamental change in employment support, including digital inclusion, is vital to creating a Future that Works for all."

"At Skillsminer, we are dedicated to supporting Communities that Work in their mission to foster meaningful employment opportunities. Our advanced technology is designed to help organisations identify and develop hidden talent within their communities. By leveraging AI-driven insights, we enable more effective skills development, supporting growth in the sector and enhancing diversity and inclusion. Together, we can create a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to their community’s success."

“We are proud to support Communities that Work and the work they undertake to link housing, employment and government together. In our role enhancing lives through safe and sustainable social housing regeneration, we understand the importance of the A Future that Works campaign and support this manifesto. There is a real opportunity ahead of us all to support people into sustainable employment that enhances their lives and aspirations and Communities that Work play a pivotal role in this.

We desperately need new skilled workers to meet the housing retrofit targets and to ensure we continue to deliver refurbishment works to improve the decency and energy efficiency of homes. We have a unique opportunity to harness the skills and the potential of those looking to move into employment to support us with the investment that is being undertaken to enhance social housing.” 

“The IEP have been strong supporters and partners of Communities that Work since their inception. The leading role they are taking in advocating for the critical connection between housing and employment opportunities has our full backing. We wholeheartedly support their campaign for A Future that Works, aiming to end employment poverty. It’s clear that more needs to be done to help people access meaningful employment and break free from the cycle of poverty. Communities that Work are at the forefront, developing the solutions that will make a lasting difference and we are proud to support them in achieving their mission."

"Housing Associations will play a central role in the green economy as significant developers and retrofitters of existing UK housing stock - with domestic heating alone represents 18% of all UK carbon emissions.     

As we move towards net zero, the required investment in de-carbonisation of housing represents a once-in-a generation opportunity to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities - provided we can increase under-resourced residents’ access to good, green jobs.  

I am a proud and avid supporter of Communities that Work, given the important role they play in supporting collaboration and driving system level change in the sector." 

“Whilst regional inequalities rise, I have witnessed first-hand through my research how housing association members of ‘Communities that Work’ have, in line with their to-be-commended manifesto aims, moved beyond their role solely as housing providers to additionally support ‘invisible workers’, often relegated to the sidelines of the job market, and meeting ‘place-based deprivation’ head-on. By fostering collaborative partnerships, housing associations whose futures are locally invested emerge as changemakers, enabling residents to make and sustain change in their lives where they live”.