Funds administrator, Charis, has partnered with high street flooring retailer, Carpetright, to facilitate the selection and installation of flooring in social housing.
The difficulty in finding and booking independent fitters, as well as a lack of clarity between the tenants and landlord are regularly cited as a key barrier to social landlords providing flooring. Through its agreement with Charis, Carpetright fulfils the entire process directly with the tenant with no need to involve the housing organisation once a Carpetright voucher has been issued. By removing the landlord as a third-party intermediary, the transaction is simply between Carpetright and the tenant in the same way as any other customer/supplier relationship.
Through the Charis Shop platform, welfare teams can issue vouchers that can be used at Carpetright for both the selection and fitting costs of whatever flooring options the tenant chooses. With Wales recently passing legislation that homes must be let with all flooring included, and a growing call for similar legislation to be passed in England and Scotland, this partnership presents a massive saving in time and resources for social housing organisations. Additionally, tenants can enjoy the benefits of flooring that they have chosen themselves.
“By law, UK social landlords have to provide flooring in bathrooms and kitchens, but that often leaves families living on bare floorboards throughout the rest of the home. In fact, some 1.2 million people in the UK have no flooring in bedrooms and living rooms,” commented Charis Director of Client Services, Jonathan Hunt. “By facilitating the supply and the fit of the flooring for social housing tenants, the process itself can be completed with a much faster turnaround. The tenant is completely empowered to make the flooring selection according to their own taste.”
Alex Rogers, Head of Partnerships at Carpetright, added: “It is important to reduce the friction within the delivery process for laying flooring in social housing, and using the Charis platform helps to do just that. We work directly with the tenants at every stage of the process. They know what budget they have to work to, and can choose a flooring style and colour to suit their own tastes. This partnership enables us to reach further customers within social housing alongside our direct partnership options, removing barriers to flooring provision within the sector.”
The process is simple. Through the Charis Shop, social housing providers issue a voucher via email. The voucher value is estimated to cover a reasonable quality flooring as well as its fitting. Should there be any residual balance left on the voucher, this can be used on any additional items such as rugs, door mats or other Carpetright products. Tenants can also take advantage of any instore discounts or sales.
When a property has no flooring, it lacks insulation making it harder for the home to be heated. Bare floorboards can have large gaps between them and are often rough with splinters and metal nails sticking out, making it dangerous for big and little feet alike. The cost of living has heightened the pressure on household incomes, and many families lack the ability to carpet an entire house on already limited budgets. By ensuring that they have the systems in house to support these families through the partnership between Charis and Carpetright, social housing organisations can elevate the level of service they offer their clients.
Image credit: Phovoir
