News
For up to the minute news from ELHA, please visit our Facebook page.
Festive Closure Dates
20/12/2021
Our offices will be closed from 12:30pm on Friday 24 December 2021 and will reopen at 9.00am on Wednesday 5 January 2022.
New Year, New Home?
20/12/2021
Did you know that around a third of our new tenants come through Mutual Exchanges?
Service Charges
20/12/2021
Some of our tenants receive a Service Charge in addition to paying their rent. Service Charges are costs that we pass on for extra services we provide such as stair cleaning, warden costs or factoring services.
Updates for Families on Benefits
20/12/2021
Updates on the Child Disability Payment, Scottish Child Payment and the Family Pandemic Payment
Universal Credit Update - Autumn Budget
24/11/2021
It was announced in the Autumn Budget that workers on Universal Credit will get a cash boost by 1 December.
Get Ready for Winter
24/11/2021
We had a long hot summer, does this mean we’re going to have a long cold winter?
Winter Road Maintenance
24/11/2021
While we don’t own any roads (even if we own all the homes on a street, the roads are still adopted by East Lothian Council), we want to make sure our tenants know what to expect when it comes to winter road maintenance.
These Homes Update
24/11/2021
These Homes, our new Digital Lettings Service, went live in March this year, and we advertised our first properties in April.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst!
24/11/2021
There is home contents insurance specifically designed for housing association tenants
Health in Mind
24/11/2021
Health in Mind is a charity which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing in Scotland.
Update on getting the Warm Home Discount
09/11/2021
Getting £140 discount off your electricity bill, or £140 credit to your prepayment meter, is not widely advertised, so you may not have heard of it. We find that many householders who are eligible for this discount have no idea it exists.
Tips for Saving Energy
09/11/2021
There are many things you can do to reduce how much energy you use and how much is spent.
Get Ready for the Child Disability Payment
09/11/2021
Child Disability Payment provides extra money to help with the costs of caring for a child with a disability or ill-health condition. Child Disability Payment will replace Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland.
Understanding Energy Bills
09/11/2021
If you’ve ever looked at your gas & electric bills and wondered what was going on, the Energy Saving Trust has a helpful new video explaining how to understand the jargon.
Are You an Unpaid Carer?
09/11/2021
Eligible carers in Scotland will now receive a double payment of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement under legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament earlier this month.
2021 Assurance Statement
07/10/2021
Our 2021 Assurance Statement is has been submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator and is available for tenants to download.
The end of the £20 UC Uplift
28/09/2021
If you are concerned about the end of the uplift scheme and a drop in your UC payments, our Money & Home Energy Adviser, Anne, has appointments available to help you go through your finances, help with budgeting, etc.
Connecting Scotland
28/09/2021
That's another ELHA tenant helped to get online with Connecting Scotland! One of our Housing Officers, James, helped to get our tenant a new Chromebook and internet access.
Get a LIFT onto the Property Ladder
28/09/2021
The LIFT (Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers) scheme?helps?first-time buyers, and other priority groups including current social renters, get onto the property ladder?with Scottish Government support.
Self-isolation Support Grants
28/09/2021
The Scottish Welfare Fund team delivers Self-Isolation Support Grants (SISG) on behalf of the Scottish Government for the residents of East Lothian.
How To Get A Quick(er) Answer
28/09/2021
If you can, please use the Contact Us form in your My Home account for enquiries.
Legionella Risk Assessments
24/08/2021
Over the next few months we will be carrying out Legionella risk assessments on our properties.
Halogen Bulbs
24/08/2021
If you’re not already aware, halogen bulbs will be illegal to sell in the UK from September 2021.
The Spark
24/08/2021
The Spark provides counselling and mental health support services for individuals, couples, families, children and young people in Scotland.
Wimpey’s Community Clean Up Day!
24/08/2021
ELC are running a community clean up day in the Wimpeys area of Musselburgh
Performance 365
12/07/2021
Our annual performance figures have been updated on our Performance 365 microsite, https://performance365.elha.com!
Estate Complaints
12/07/2021
We are currently receiving a higher than normal volume of complaints, mostly about the condition of gardens and communal areas, and about the level of service our new stair cleaning contractor is providing.
Housing First Project
24/06/2021
In partnership with Women’s Aid East & Midlothian (WAEML) and East Lothian Council, we have received a 2-year grant from the Scottish Government’s Third Sector Homelessness Fund.
Have Your Say – The Scottish Social Housing Charter
24/06/2021
The Charter is due to be reviewed and so the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) and the Tenant Information Service (TIS) are hosting a series of events aimed at tenants, landlords and other interested parties to find out what you think.
Are You Making the Most of My Home?
24/06/2021
As most of our staff are still working from home and may be hard to reach by phone, we’d like to remind everyone that My Home is still the fastest and easiest way to manage your tenancy.
School Age Payments - Update
24/06/2021
Applications for the School Age Payment are now open to families who get tax credits or certain benefits and have a child who was born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017.
For News & Updates – Facebook
24/06/2021
We can fit so much more on Facebook than we can in newsletters!
Wee Red Upcycles project
17/05/2021
We’re delighted to announce that we will be working in partnership with Wee Red Upcycles, a Community Interest Company (CIC) based in Haddington
New Complaint Procedure
17/05/2021
We like to think that most of our tenants are happy with the services we provide, but we’re not perfect
Recent Scams
17/05/2021
Action Fraud has issued a warning to the public about a National Insurance scam.
Are You Missing Out on a Council Tax Reduction?
17/05/2021
New figures from Age Scotland reveal that older people on low incomes missed out on £88 million in Council Tax Reduction support last year.
Garden Care Scheme
17/05/2021
The Garden Care Scheme has now restarted, but it may take some time to get caught up.
The Social Housing Fuel Support Fund
27/04/2021
The Social Housing Fuel Support Fund is a £2 million emergency fund, introduced by the Scottish Government
Lockdown Update!
09/04/2021
A quick update on changes now that lockdown restrictions are due to ease.
These Homes Update
18/03/2021
Our last ever Homehunt property listing went up in early March, and we’re preparing for the launch of These Homes on 22 March.
Direct Debits and the "Rent Freeze" - Some Still Change!
18/03/2021
As the introduction of new and increased Key Tenant Rent Discounts means an effective “Rent Freeze” for all paper-free tenants, we’ve been doing a lot checking and rechecking whose Direct Debit will change.
Planned Maintenance 2021-22
18/03/2021
We normally publish the new financial year’s planned maintenance calendar around this time of year. Due to Lockdown restrictions, what we can and can’t do is liable to change from month to month.
NHS Inform
18/03/2021
NHS Inform is Scotland's national health information service. Their aim is to provide the people in Scotland with accurate and relevant information to help you make informed decisions about your own health and the health of the people you care for.
Money & Home Energy Advice Service
18/03/2021
Anne is available for both money and home energy advice. While home visits aren’t an option (yet), she is still able to help over the phone and by providing information and advice by e-mail or post.
Right to Repair and Alternative Contractors
18/03/2021
The Right to Repair Scheme ensures that Housing Association tenants receive a good repair service for important repairs. Repairs which fall under Right to Repair must be completed within a set response time.
These Homes – Go Live Date
03/03/2021
We are really excited to be working in partnership with a number of landlords from around Scotland to deliver a new Digital Lettings Service – These Homes which will replace the Homehunt system we currently use to allocate and relet our properties.
Allocations Policy Consultation
03/03/2021
The review of our Allocations Policy, and the switch to These Homes has been an ongoing project since 2019. We carried out two consultations with tenants and applicants – one in 2019 and another in 2020.
Captain Discount Says, "Thank You for Taking Part!"
11/02/2021
We had a record-breaking response to this year’s rent increase consultation. 379 of you responded by the deadline, that’s 28.5% of our tenants, beating last year’s record of 24.4%!
Fraud Prevention
11/02/2021
If we make a major change to our services, we will always write to you to let you know. If you are paper free, you will either receive a PDF letter attached to an e-mail or a branded newsletter-style update.
Social Security Scotland Update for Parents
11/02/2021
A quick update on new benefits for parent from Social Security Scotland
Housing Stock Survey
11/02/2021
Over the next month, representatives from Jones Lang LaSalle, a firm of surveyors, will be inspecting some of our properties as part of a routine valuation exercise.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
11/02/2021
Well, the 2021 rent increase consultation definitely made January interesting! We’re really pleased that most tenants who took part visited the new consultation area.
A Virtual Meeting, Viewing and Sign Up!
11/02/2021
Our allocation process usually involves a home visit with the potential applicant. But that poses problems at the moment...
Settled Status
27/02/2020
Following Brexit, there will be a transition period for EEA nationals until 31 December 2020.
Thank you!
27/02/2020
We are thrilled that over 300 of our tenants chose to take part in this year's Rent Increase Consultation - that's almost a quarter of all tenants!
Best Start Foods
24/02/2020
UK Government Healthy Start vouchers are stopping for families in Scotland at the end of March 2020.
The LIFT Scheme
31/01/2020
If you are a local authority or housing association tenant, you could be eligible for funding of up to 40% towards the cost of a home through the Scottish Government's LIFT scheme.
Changes to the Tenancy Agreement
01/05/2019
Some of the Housing (Scotland) Act changes to your Tenancy Agreement have now been applied.
