Anchor Sustainability Report 2022-2023

Foreword by Sarah Jones This has been a positive year for environmental, social and governance work at Anchor, with a successful bid for funding to retrofit homes in wave 2.1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund as part of the Greener Futures Partnership. The total award was for over £40.4m towards retrofitting 5,000 homes across the five partners, including £2.5m towards energy efficiency work on 341 of Anchor’s homes, bringing them up to at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C.

As part of the Greener Futures Partnership, we are also exploring how to meet the national skills gap in the world of sustainability and retrofitting. This is at the same time as continuing our work in influencing discussions on sustainability at a national level on behalf of older residents wherever we can. We also fully allocated our Sustainability Bond, raised in 2021, by the end of the year, and appended to this report is our Allocation and Impact Statement. During 2022-23, we were developing our new Environmental Sustainability & Net Zero Carbon Strategy, which sets out how we will cut carbon emissions, protect our environment, mitigate climate risks and support sustainable lifestyles across our existing and new homes, and our care homes. The strategy was launched in the Summer of 2023 and commits us to the following targets: • We will reach net zero across all carbon scopes including our supply chain by 2050. • Our rented homes will reach a minimum energy efficiency level of EPC C by 2030. • Our care homes will reach a minimum energy efficiency level of EPC C by 2028. • We will aim to be net zero ready in the way we run our services by 2030. This means we will be net zero once all the energy generated by the national grid is renewable. • All our new homes will be designed to net zero from 2023 onwards, with delivery on site not falling below our ‘Green Line’ minimum standard. Work is already well underway, both on existing workstreams and developing pathways to implement our strategy. We are continuing to embed environmental sustainability into every aspect of Anchor’s work. All of the work described in this report is focussed on ensuring that current and future generations of Anchor residents are able to love living in later life. Our residents have been involved in developing the new sustainability strategy from the start. Residents’ enthusiasm and commitment to Anchor doing more has been inspiring and heartening, challenging us to enable current and future generations to love living in later life.

Introduction Anchor is England’s largest provider of specialist housing and care for people in later life and a responsible business. We are proudly not-for-profit, which means every penny we make is reinvested into our properties and services, building more homes and innovating for the future. ESG (our environmental, social and governance work) is about every aspect of sustainability. This means tackling and mitigating climate change. It also means helping our residents to love living in later life, through subsidising our social housing residents’ rent, delivering new affordable homes for older people and providing financial and wellbeing support.

54,753 homes for older people, including: 65,000 residents

35,500 socially rented homes

12,500 leasehold homes

125 care homes with 6,600 care home beds

Almost 1,700 locations across 85% of local authorities in England 73 average SAP score

82 new homes built with an average SAP rating of 82.3 (EPC B)

83% of rented and care homes at EPC C or above

850 residents supported through Be Wise with £4.326m financial benefits

A Real Living Wage employer of more than 10,000 colleagues

Board and Executive Team membership 50:50 male:female

Gold standard accreditation with Inclusive Employers

Regulatory rating G1/V1

Our ESG work covers these areas: Environmental

We all remember the uncomfortably high temperatures of the Summer of 2022 and we have seen extreme weather conditions across Europe and the world in the Summer of 2023. Climate change is already having a significant impact and we need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°c. Anchor is committed to reaching net zero carbon by 2050 1 and is taking steps along that pathway, taking baseline measurements and evaluating progress along the way. We will take short, medium and sustained long-term action to minimise and mitigate the carbon footprint of our homes, residents and communities. Social Anchor’s vision is to enable older people to love living in later life. By 2050 one in four people will be 65 and over; in the next 50 years there will be an additional 7.5 million people in this age group taking the total number of 65s and over to 19.8 million. We exist to meet the needs of older people. That includes working with residential development partners to meet the demand in specialist housing and care, building homes, creating communities and providing services fit for the future. Anchor’s work includes supporting residents in living well, whether that’s living an active life, lifelong learning or providing financial advice and support. Governance Anchor’s strong and mature governance structure is recognised by the Regulator of Social Housing’s grading as G1:V1, the highest ratings for both governance and financial viability. We are registered as a Community Benefit Society as a registered housing association and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission for our care services and by the Regulator of Social Housing. Our governance includes our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, our status as a Real Living Wage Employer and our commitment to strong resident engagement in our governance processes.

1 Net zero means that the amount of carbon we collectively emit is in balance with the amount of carbon the planet can re-absorb.

Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing This report includes our responses to the 48 criteria under the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing (the SRS). This is a voluntary reporting framework, developed by The Good Economy and launched in late 2020. It has rapidly become the accepted industry-standard for reporting environmental, social and governance work, including affordability, safety standards and zero carbon targets. It helps housing providers to report on ESG performance in a transparent, consistent and comparable way, enabling benchmarking and supporting us in pursuing our social and environmental goals. UN Sustainable Development Goals At the heart of Anchor’s purpose is to support the lives of some of society’s most vulnerable people. We provide critical social infrastructure that builds communities, supports people’s health and wellbeing and reduces poverty. Our work drives economic growth in the wider communities in which we operate, providing jobs as a Living Wage Employer and professional development. We invest in our properties to improve energy efficiency and build new homes to high environmental sustainability standards on the way towards reaching net zero carbon by 2050. Our work links closely with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

SDG 1: No Poverty We are proud to be England’s largest not for profit provider of specialist housing and care for older people. We provide a range of housing and care offers to reflect the different circumstances of those we serve. The majority of the homes we manage are let at social rent levels and we continue to invest in affordable housing. Our Be Wise service helps residents ensure that they claim their full welfare entitlements, and we have also made this service available to colleagues. It has improved the financial position of residents by more than £4.3m in the past year. SDG 2: Zero Hunger We provide affordable, quality housing options across a range of tenures together with support for residents’ health, wellbeing and access to benefits, helping to ensure a supportive and stable place to live and enabling residents to love living in later life. SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing Maintaining and improving the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our residents is integral to helping people to enjoy later life. In addition to our core services, we support a varied and vibrant programme of activities and initiatives for residents to get involved with, ranging from our Be Active and Zest wellness and movement programmes, our Get, Set, Cycle! initiative and our Be Digital and Musical Conversations initiatives.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy Since 2019, we have designed new homes to EPC B and in 2023 launched our new target to adopt a Net Zero design standard for all new homes. Where technical, site and cost constraints mean that it is not feasible to achieve full net zero performance standards, we we will adopt a ‘Green Line’ standard. The Green Line standard exceeds Building Regulations, ensures new homes meet high fabric standards and seeks to minimise the impact on the cost of running the home as well as future retrofit requirements. Buildings will have solar PV panels and low carbon energy supplies for heating and hot water which do not run on fossil fuels. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth As a significant employer in the communities in which we operate, we create high quality local jobs and drive local economic growth, both through direct employment and indirectly, through our local supply chains. Our new developments programme also boosts job creation and contributes further to economic growth. We are a Real Living Wage employer. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities By providing affordable, specialist housing and care homes for people in later life alongside access to essential services, we are actively working to combat inequality for an ageing population - a significantly underserved segment of society. Anchor has been awarded Gold accreditation from Inclusive Employers, recognising us as among the best employers in the UK when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Offering a range of homes of different tenures in communities across England ensures we contribute to sustainable cities and communities. Our aim is for people to love living in later life and be supported to live as independently as possible ensuring our residents remain an active part of their communities.

SDG 13: Climate Action Our new developments programme is actively tackling the climate crisis, designing to net zero carbon and building to our ‘green line standard’, meeting and improving on current energy efficient building regulations as a minimum as well as minimising the environmental impact of our building processes. We continue to invest in improving the energy efficiency of our existing properties, reducing carbon outputs and benefitting residents in their homes. We are committed to ensuring that all rented homes meet energy efficiency levels of at least EPC C by 2030 and over 83% of our homes have already achieved this. We measure and publish our Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprint according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol methodology and are We actively manage and aim to reduce the exposure to pollutants across our homes portfolio and have programmes in place to combat damp, mould and condensation, and manage the risk posed by legionella and asbestos. We are piloting a food waste reduction programme, encourage recycling and, through our construction supply chain, ensure that waste associated with new developments is responsibly managed. In managing our locations, we are an active custodian of the green spaces and natural habitats we look after and support and encourage residents to engage with the natural environment through gardening and wellbeing activities. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions As a charitable housing association and a care provider, we are registered as a society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Regulator of Social Housing. Established almost 60 years ago, we have a strong and mature system of internal control and corporate governance. targeting net zero by 2050. SDG 15: Life on Land

Contents

Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing

UN Sustainable Development Goals ENVIRONMENTAL

Page

Theme

Criteria

Climate Change

C14-19 C20-21 C22-24

10 23 24 26 27 35 37 44 47 50 52 56 60 62 63 72

Ecology

Resource Management

SOCIAL

Affordability and Security C1-C5 Building Safety & Quality C6-C8

Resident Voice Resident Support

C9-C11

C12 C13

Placemaking

GOVERNANCE

Anchor’s Board Colleague pay and remuneration

C25-41

C42-C46 C47-C48

Supply Chain

BOND ALLOCATION & IMPACT

Bond allocation and impact report FY23 DNV Periodic Second Party Opinion 2023

Environmental

Climate Change Over the last year, Anchor has been developing its Environmental Sustainability & Net Zero Carbon Strategy, working with residents, colleagues and expert advisers to agree targets along the pathway towards reaching net zero carbon. From baseline measurements of Anchor’s carbon emissions, we are working to embed carbon reduction across all areas of Anchor’s work. We start from a strong position with 83% of our homes at an energy efficiency level of EPC C or above and will ensure that all rented homes reach at least EPC C by 2030 and that all our homes and operations are net zero carbon by 2050. C14 Energy performance of existing homes The average energy efficiency rating or SAP score of Anchor’s existing rented and care homes is 73 or EPC C. By the end of the 2022-23 financial year, Anchor had obtained EPC certificates for 100% of care homes, 99.99% of rented homes, and 90% of leasehold homes. This is enabling us to understand the energy performance of our homes, target improvements and develop our retrofit programmes going forwards. 83% of our rented and care homes and 55% of our leaseholder’s homes are currently at EPC C or above. The English Housing Survey (2021) found 52.5% of homes in England were below EPC C, with an average SAP rating across all homes of 66.3 or EPC D. Social housing performs better than other tenures. 2 C14-19

What is a SAP score? SAP stands for the government’s Standard Assessment Procedure and is the accepted method for calculating the energy performance of dwellings. The result will be a figure sitting somewhere between 1 and 100+. The

higher the SAP rating, the more efficient the energy performance of the home and the lower the carbon dioxide emissions. These measurements are used to form the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

What is an EPC rating? The EPC or Energy Performance Certificate records the assumed energy efficiency of a building, based on its insulation, heating and lighting systems. The energy efficiency ratings range from A for the most efficient buildings to G for the worst performing.

2 English Housing Survey data on energy performance: English Housing Survey data on energy performance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Rented Homes EPC Banding %* (number of home)

0% (7) A B

9% (3,199)

74% (26,858)

C D E F

11% (4,143)

5% (1,862)

0% (34)

Care Home EPC Banding %* (number of home)

Two of the care homes reported here were under construction at the time of reporting and, as a result, had not yet received an Energy Performance Certificate. These are reported as having no EPC records.

A B C D E F

8% (10)

45% (56)

35% (44)

7% (9)

1% (1)

0% (0)

No EPC records

4% (5)

Home Ownership EPC Banding %* (number of homes)

0% (1) A B

11% (1,464)

43% (5,600)

C D E F

22% (2,897)

12% (1,576)

0% (3)

10% (1,309) No EPC records *percentages have been rounded

We are committed to achieving EPC C for all rented homes by 2030 and by 2028 in our care homes. Working with the government’s fuel poverty strategy, we want to explore how to support as many leaseholder homes as possible to reach EPC C or above in ways that are in line with lease obligations. We are supporting home energy efficiency through our planned works programme which delivers cyclical works to heating systems, windows, doors and roofs to ensure an integrated approach to the upgrade of our residents’ homes. We are: • Taking a fabric-first approach to insulating residents’ homes • Looking at the shift away from gas heating towards electric forms of heating that can be powered renewably • Using tried and tested components and materials that are reliable and suitable for our residents’ comfort and ease of use • Integrating retrofit works into planned works programmes to minimise disruption to residents and maximise value for money • Investing in education, upskilling and effective engagement for colleagues, contractors and residents. C15 - Distribution of EPC ratings of new homes completed in the last year In 2022-23, we continued to build new homes to a target minimum standard of EPC B and to include solar panels where appropriate. Anchor completed 82 new homes this year. All 82 of these new developments were homes for older people with 43 at affordable rents and 39 low- cost ownership. Of these, 64 were rated at EPC B and 18 at EPC C with an overall average SAP rating of 82.3, which equates to EPC B. Anchor also acquired new care homes during the year, which are of a high standard of energy efficiency, with seven homes being EPC B and six being EPC A. Wharfeside in Otley has been awarded the highest rating of ‘outstanding’ for its asset performance under the BREEAM In-Use International standard. From 2023 we have launched our new target, adopting a Net Zero design standard for all new homes. Where technical, site and cost constraints mean it is not feasible to achieve full net zero performance standards, we will adopt a ‘Green Line’ standard. The Green Line standard exceeds Building Regulations, ensures new homes meet very high fabric standards and seeks to minimise the impact on the cost of running the home as well as future retrofit requirements. Buildings will have solar PV panels and low carbon energy supplies for heating and hot water such as Air Source Heat Pumps, which do not require fossil fuels to be burned.

Case study: Newnton Close, Hackney

Newnton Close, Hackney is an exciting new development which started construction in early 2023. Plans were approved by Hackney’s Planning Committee for the demolition of the existing building to make way for 76 new one and two- bedroom retirement apartments with 100% being affordable (an uplift of 171%). The development will comprise 40 rented homes and 36 shared ownership homes. There will also be communal facilities, and carefully designed landscaping and sensory gardens surrounding the building making this a relaxing and enjoyable place to live in later life. In addition to aiming at a high level of energy efficiency, the regeneration of Newnton Close aims to deliver a biodiversity net gain of 46% compared to the existing habitat life, including a biodiverse sedum green- blue roof, areas of understorey planting, ornamental planting, hedges within ornamental areas and 10 new trees.

The development also aims to create a substantial increase in Urban Green Factor (UGF), which is used to assess the required amount of urban greening for new developments, specifically relating to gains in surface permeability and biodiversity. The UGF of the proposed development has a score of 0.454 and demonstrates a 218% increase from the existing site.

Looking to the future Anchor is committed to delivering developing 5,700 homes over the next 10 years by: • Redeveloping existing assets - whole buildings, infilling on spare land, building atop existing properties or extending buildings onto adjacent available land • Finding and developing new and existing sites across England in our priority areas.

The Chimes, Bingley 59 units

Howden Dene, Corbridge 14 units

Idle, Bradford 72 units

Melton Road, Edwalton 70 units

Furness Avenue, Halifax 70 units Verdon Roe Avenue, Stockport 104 units Middleton Court, Liverpool 14 units

Eagle Way, Peterborough 80 units

The Silks, Newmarket 69 units

London Road, Southend-On-Sea 84 units Dock Road, Chatham 70 units The Landings, Kings Hill 75 units Cory’s Road, Rochester 101 units Goff’s Lane, Cheshunt 93 units Enfield Road, Enfield 65 units Mare Street, Hackney 38 units London Road, Copford 88 units Gresley Way, Stevenage 71 units The Beacons, Chelmsford 82 units

The Dials, Hinckley 57 units

Peglars Way, Swindon 81 units Coleshill Street, Sutton Coldfield 84 units

Cocklebury Road, Chippenham 67 units

Pemberley Place, Bath 72 units

The Chapters, Shinfield 80 units

The Signals, Hook 75 units

Atlas Lodge, Uxbridge 72 units

Kytes Drive, Watford 150 units

Newnton Close, Hackney 76 units

Projects in the Pipeline (1363)

Projects on Site (770)

Anchor has been building to a minimum standard of EPC B, but from 2023 we are designing to net zero and delivering to a minimum ‘green line’ standard. Our standard aligns to the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) operational net zero definition for new build homes, and we will be focusing on designing homes with: • High fabric standards that support low energy use • Low carbon energy supply for heating and electricity with no fossil fuels • A zero carbon balance achieved through the use of renewable energy production on site. We recognise that it is ambitious and challenging to deliver net zero homes in practice, so we have adopted a ‘Green Line’ - a minimum standard for all new homes which: • Exceeds 2022 Part L Building Regulations significantly • Ensures that in aiming to reach net zero, our design standards do not fall below our Green Line standard • Minimises the impact on resident affordability/running costs In practice, our Green Line will be operated as a set of scenarios where we adjust the fabric, heating and renewable energy balance for a building only where technical, site or cost constraints necessitate it. In addition, we will: • Reduce the environmental impact of building new homes and enhance the biodiversity of new places • Support sustainable transport. • Design new homes to minimise exposure to climate risks such as flooding and overheating • Design homes and locations that support independent living and a healthy, active, and sustainable lifestyle, reducing loneliness and isolation • Define the “renewable” technologies in this context and ensure data set of capacity is complete • Invest in upskilling our colleagues and developing our supply chain relationships to support these aims.

C16 – Scope 1, Scope 2 & Scope 3 Greenhouse gas emissions To understand where we are starting from and to measure progress, we conducted a full assessment of our greenhouse gas emissions, carrying out a baseline calculation using 2021-22 emissions and repeating this assessment using 2022-23 emissions. Our carbon footprint includes electricity and gas used in Anchor’s offices, as well as that bought by Anchor for communal heating in residents’ homes, in communal areas of our properties and in our care homes. It also includes water supply and treatment and emissions created by Anchor colleague business travel and commuting. Our emissions under scope 3 include estimated emissions from our supply chain of purchased goods and services. The data provided below encompasses all data required for disclosure under the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting methodology, which Anchor has voluntarily reported against since 2021, and goes further to report on a wider range of emissions sources consistent with the more comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Protocol. More than half of the total emissions are from gas and electricity which is either purchased by Anchor for residents or purchased by residents for use in their own homes. Retrofitting to make homes more energy efficient will reduce these emissions. The second largest source of emissions is goods and services purchased by Anchor and the supply chain for those goods and services. The largest change between emissions in 2021-22 and 2022- 23 was seen in new developments where an increase in the volume of construction work to build new homes increased estimated emissions outputs; however, across Scope 1 – direct emissions, Scope 2 – indirect emissions and Scope 3 – emissions from rented and leasehold homes, total emissions decreased .

2022-23 Tonnes CO 2 e 54,243

2021-22 Tonnes CO 2 e

Full Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Scope 1, 2 and 3 Scope 1 - Direct emissions (gas/ transport fuel/ heating oil/ biomass fuel) purchased directly by Anchor) Scope 2 - Indirect emissions (electricity purchased directly by Anchor) Scope 3 - Emissions from rented and leasehold homes Scope 3 - Purchased goods and services, including repairs, maintenance, refuse collection, catering, IT equipment Scope 3 - Capital Goods - building of new development Scope 3 - Employee commuting, business travel and hotel stays

% of footprint

57,015 28

14,775 61,736 60,769

17,080 8

26 26

65,656

55,713 27

42,644

8,964

2,556

1 0

2,229 1

Scope 3 - Water supply and treatment Total carbon footprint (tonnes CO 2 e)* 237,482 759

724

207,381

Intensity metric (tonnes CO 2 e per homes/bed space) 3.8 The Greenhouse Gas method encompasses all emissions disclosed under the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Emissions (SECR) reporting method. For comparison to our reporting under this method last year, the relevant emissions categories within our full carbon footprint are as follows. An adjustment has been made to the reported figure for scope 1 (gas and other fuels) for 2021-22 to include heating oil and office gas consumption which is also included in our 2022-23 report: 4.3

2022-23 2021-22 Tonnes CO2e Tonnes CO2e

SECR Summary of Emissions

Grid supplied electricity (scope 2) Gaseous & other fuels (scope 1) Transportation (scope 1) Transportation (scope 3) TOTAL SECR emissions

4463 10236 569 409 15676 0.29

5599 10423 437 311 16770

Intensity metric (total emissions divided by number of homes/ beds) 0.31 Intensity metrics have been calculated using total tCO 2 e figures and our selected performance indicator for the relevant report period which is the total number of homes and bed spaces operated by Anchor as defined in our Statistical Data Return to the Regulator of Social Housing as

*Since the annual report and accounts were published, we have corrected a calculation error in the total carbon emission figure.

at 31 March 2023. Scope 1, 2 & 3 CO 2 e emissions data has been calculated in line with the 2019 UK government environmental reporting guidance. The UK government ‘Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Conversion Factors’ have been used, utilising the relevant kgCO 2 e emissions factors for reporting period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Scope 1 - Direct emissions (gas/transport fuel/ heating oil/ biomass fuel) purchased directly by Anchor) - 23% Scope 2 - Indirect emissions (electricity purchased directly by Anchor) - 6% Scope 3 - Emissions from rented and leasehold homes - 26% Scope 3 - Purchased goods and services, including repairs, maintenance, refuse collection, catering, IT equipment - 26% Scope 3 - Capital Goods - building of new development - 18% Scope 3 - Employee commuting, business travel and hotel stays - 1% Scope 3 - Water supply and treatment - 0%

Anchor’s total carbon footprint for 2022/23 was 237,482 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

That’s equivalent to 2,698,659 journeys from London to Glasgow in an average sized car. It would take 10,794,636 trees one year to absorb that much carbon.

We are committed to reaching net zero carbon by 2050 and over the coming years will set interim reduction targets alongside measuring and disclosing our emissions against the Greenhouse Gas Protocol annually. C17 – What energy efficiency actions has the housing provider undertaken in the last 12 months? In 2022, Anchor continued our work with the Greener Futures Partnership (GFP) including Abri, Home Group, Hyde and Sanctuary to work together on a bid for funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (“the Fund”) and to carry out retrofitting works. The GFP succeeded in securing £40.4m in funding to retrofit over 5,000 homes with Anchor securing £2.2 million towards the retrofit of 341 homes. Retrofitting works will take a ‘fabric first’ approach to increase energy efficiency for residents and bring homes up to a standard of EPC C or above. This programme, alongside our work to complete stock condition surveys and gather EPC data, will inform our medium and long-term retrofitting plans. We have invested in the establishment of a Projects and Contracts team and supported three colleagues to develop their professional retrofit qualifications with plans to support at least a further 10 colleagues next year. Over the last year, Anchor has been following a pathway towards developing an overarching Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero Carbon Strategy. This pulls together much of the work we are already doing on energy efficiency. Our ongoing energy efficiency work is part of business as usual is set out below: • Communal boiler room and boiler management system replacements at 37 locations • Communal lighting replacement at 93 locations

• Boiler replacements at 469 properties • New hot water tanks at 103 properties • Door and window replacements at 31 locations

Anchor’s Energy and Sustainability team has continued to work with the Warmfront team to identify which of our rental and homeownership properties would benefit from Cavity Wall Insulation. This scheme was fully funded by the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) through EON. Following a non-intrusive survey, 1,731 properties received cavity wall insulation in 2022-23.

Case Study: Cavity Wall Insulation Exeter Drive, Colchester

Cavity wall insulation was installed at Exeter Drive in Colchester where half of the properties are highly exposed to the elements. It wasn’t all plain sailing as part way through the installation the bonded beads used to insulate the cavity spilled into the wall through a poorly sealed gap under the kitchen window. The Warmfront team ensured operatives returned straight away, cleaned up and resealed the area. Since the cavity wall installation has been installed residents have really felt the benefit and report that they have had to use their heating less.

Residents feedback from Exeter Drive. Linda Ballard – “the workmen have been really helpful, polite and made sure I am okay”. “Your men are working so hard; they are clean and are doing a brilliant job.”

June Birchmoor – “I am really pleased with the work that has been done and they have done a good job of cleaning up the mess as they have gone along. I just wanted to make it known that I am happy with the works that have been carried out”

Communal heat networks Anchor has a large number of communal heat networks, where we buy in the energy and manage the heating centrally for residents: Total number communal heat networks 724 Rented homes 594 Leasehold homes 16 Care homes 101 Mixed tenure homes 13 As well as pursuing new opportunities for energy efficiency, Anchor is committed to making existing communal heating systems as energy efficient as we can. In 2022-23, we continued to review and improve the operation of our communal heating systems. Over the last year, gas and electricity consumption has fallen, which may be for a combination of reasons, including residents putting their heating on less during the energy crisis, but it could also result from improvements in efficiency. Renewable energy Anchor has a total of 4,372kW of renewable energy capacity across all our properties. These sources are able to reduce energy bills for residents as well as generating income where this is still available through the Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed In Tariff. kW capacity Air source heat pump 963 Biomass 420 Combined heat and power 174 Ground source heat pump 1,949 Solar photovoltaic 538 Solar thermal 228 Battery storage 100 Total 4,372 C18 Mitigating climate risks Climate change is already affecting our lives in the United Kingdom, with the extreme heat of the Summer of 2022 and increased rainfall and flooding in recent years. We are capturing data on flood risk areas and we can record any existing flood protection measures. If we identify the need for additional measures to mitigate flood risks, we will work with the Environmental Agency to implement these. Where overheating is a risk, we can record improvements to install cooling systems, shading, and overheating management strategies, whether in rented or care home settings.

We are now carrying out thermal modelling assessments of all building scheme designs at an early stage to review the risk of overheating and keeping this under review as the detailed design develops. For our new developments, planning applications are supported by a flood risk assessment where appropriate, looking at the impact of proposals on the risk of flooding from the sea, rivers and surface water. Mitigation measures are put in place where flood risks are identified. C19 - Information for residents about ventilation, heating and recycling Residents are given information about how to use their heating and ventilation. Anchor has carried out a full review of our approach to damp, mould and condensation following the Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight Review on Damp, Mould and Condensation and the follow-up review after the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale. Taking on board the Housing Ombudsman’s national recommendations, this has included training colleagues to support a change in culture towards damp and mould, ensuring that residents are not blamed on the grounds that this is caused by ‘lifestyle’. We have developed new systems for ensuring the early identification of damp and mould and improving coordination and speedy resolution in addition to regular ‘Don’t Walk By’ surveys to identify a wide range of issues. Residents moving into new developments receive home information packs with guidance on their new heating system, how heat and hot water are provided and how to control their heating to optimise efficiency. Anchor’s location managers dedicated to each location are available on site daily to support residents. Where we undertake retrofit projects involving fabric improvements, heating system upgrades or the deployment of new technologies, we provide residents with full information on how their new heating systems work and encourage changes in behaviour to adapt to making the most of the energy efficiency improvements. Anchor provides guidance to residents to encourage reducing, reusing and recycling as well as diverting waste from landfill through our waste contracts. Looking forwards, as part of the implementation of the Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero Carbon Strategy, we are running education and information campaigns for residents and colleagues.

Ecology C20 - Increasing green space and promoting biodiversity

C20-21

Anchor recognises the importance of green space to the wellbeing of our residents, whether that is from spending time gardening, exercising, sitting outside or looking out at green space. We also recognise green space and biodiversity as key contributors to cleaner air, flood attenuation and cooling during extreme weather. All our new build developments incorporate green space to

Green fact Just two hours a week spent in nature has shown to have significant health benefits.

encourage residents to use and enjoy the open space. The brief for the landscaped areas surrounding the locations include a requirement to increase biodiversity and we welcome the introduction of the new planning requirements to increase biodiversity by at least 10% on new development sites. In managing our locations, we are an active custodian of the green spaces and natural habitats we look after, and support and encourage residents to engage with the natural environment through gardening and wellbeing activities. We have started work on developing biodiversity toolkits to support location-level education and action on biodiversity. The next step is to undertake a SHIFT assessment, which is an independent assessment of where we currently stand and what actions will be needed to reach robust environmental targets. C21 -Strategy for managing and reducing pollutants As part of the implementation of our new sustainability strategy, we are developing a robust set of employers’ requirements to detail our expectations around pollutants as well as conducting our second SHIFT assessment to identify targets and actions to support environmental protection. In development, the management and reduction of pollutants is managed by our development contractors, including requirements imposed during the planning process and meeting our employers’ requirements and design standards. In selecting contractors, we take into account their environmental policies.

C22-24 Resource management C22 - Responsibly sourced materials for building works C23 - Waste management strategy for building materials

We require our construction contractors to produce an annual action plan identifying their current position, actions to be taken during the forthcoming year and targets covering the following areas: • Produce an annual review of the contractor’s environmental policies, impact assessment and progress against targets • Direct CO2 emissions from their owned and controlled sources • Responsible sourcing of materials • Management and minimisation of waste streams • Management and mitigation of other pollutants, from activities and products. We currently exclude certain building materials and do not yet have an overarching strategy for waste management. We are reviewing this as part of our implementation plans for the new sustainability strategy.

Waste and Recycling At our existing locations, where we use the local council’s waste services, residents are encouraged to use their local recycling services and location managers help residents to understand the recycling rules locally. Where Anchor procures the waste services, including for our care homes, our contractor diverts the vast majority of waste away from landfill. In 2022-23 87% of this waste was incinerated, 9% was recycled and 3% was organic waste used for composting.

The table below shows how Anchor's waste not collected by local authorities, was diverted from landfill in 2022-23:

300 100 150 200 250

0 50

Mixed Recycling

Organic

Glass

Refuse Derived Fuel

26% 9%

9% 3%

1% <1%

241% 87%

Destination of waste diverted from landfill

C24 - Water management strategy We currently do not have a water management strategy, but we plan to develop one as part of our sustainability strategy implementation.

Social

Affordability and security C1 – Rent affordability

C1-5

Anchor rents over 35,000 homes at social rent levels, providing decent affordable homes for older people. We also provide leasehold and shared ownership properties, often allowing residents to downsize in later life to more affordable housing. Our revised development programme continues our commitment to mixed tenures as well as providing more social and affordable homes. We provide a broad range of care services with an average 50/50 split between publicy funded services and private fee payers. Property type 2022/23 average rent as % of private rental median by local authority Studio 61% 1 Bed 63% 2 Bed 64% 3 Bed 50% 4 Bed 42% Property type 2022/23 average rent as % of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate by Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) Studio 61% 1 Bed 72% 2 Bed 75% 3 Bed 59% 4 Bed 51% C2 Existing homes tenure profile Tenure type Homes Social rent for older people 35,276 Care homes 6,600 Low-cost home ownership 1,442 Non-social rent for older people 9 Social rent general needs 226 Affordable rent 136 While the table above sets out the average Anchor rents as a percentage of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, a total of 89% of our properties are below the LHA rate for their area.

C3 New homes tenure profile All of our new homes are housing for older people. In 2022-23 we completed 82 homes for older people, consisting of 43 affordable rented homes and 39 homes for low-cost ownership. Anchor has acquired 13 new energy efficient care homes in 2022-23, with six homes at EPC A and seven at EPC B. Wharfeside in Otley has been awarded the highest rating of ‘outstanding’ for its asset performance under the BREEAM In-Use International standard.

Case study: Wharfeside Care Home, Otley

Wharfeside Care Home, Otley is a residential care home that provides a safe and luxurious place to live with excellent care and support. The care home was designed to be carbon neutral with its expanse of solar panels, including battery storage, and ground source heat pump. It also benefits from two electric vehicle charging points and a bike store to promote active travel for visitors and colleagues. At Wharfeside there are impressive facilities including ensuite wet room bathrooms for every bedroom, a bar area, quiet lounges, a hair and beauty salon and a coffee shop area. It benefits from secure balconies to the front and rear and it is surrounded by private landscaped gardens with outdoor seating areas. Wharfeside enjoys lovely views over the local area and the River Wharfe.

Flower arranging in the garden room

Accessible garden space

Enjoying the garden

Creative Minds art session

Potting plants in the gardening club

Wharfeside offers a wide range of social acitivites, supported by our care colleagues. Residents can enjoy organised activities, such as Creative Minds art sessions, gardening, and fitness sessions. As well as a bar and cinema area inside, there are outdoor green spaces to sit, rest or walk. The beautifully light garden room opens onto the garden area. By bringing the outdoors in this makes for a perfect place to enjoy the garden without feeling the chill. Here residents can take part in a weekly gardening club where they can pot plants and add them to the garden. C4 - Tackling fuel poverty The energy crisis has been at the forefront of all our minds over the last 12 months. We understand the importance of supporting our residents to maximise their income enabling them to meet their household costs, and minimise their impact on the environment. Anchor’s Be Wise service advises residents how to make the most of their money. This includes ensuring that residents are getting all their benefit entitlement as well as understanding how to save money on their energy bills. We also offer energy efficiency advice, answer meter or billing queries, advise on social tariffs for water supply and offer assistance with energy-related complaints to the energy suppliers or ombudsman. This service is provided through a freephone telephone service, email and face-to-face appointments and is available to all Anchor residents and colleagues. The service also provides information to residents, including through written material and information on our website, on how to access grants and schemes. In December 2022, Anchor invested further in this service and increased the size of the Be Wise team to enable them to assist more of our residents.

At the end of 2022, we introduced a Resident Support Fund to help our residents with the increased cost of living. Between January and March 2023 we received 341 applications and sent out over £30,000 in vouchers from the scheme.

Be Wise Case Study – Energy bills

Mrs M contacted the Be Wise Team as she was extremely concerned that she had not received an energy bill for over six months, and she had tried contacting the supplier herself many times to make them aware the meter wasn’t displaying any reading. The advisor took action to allow him to talk to the supplier as an advocate on the resident’s behalf. On investigation and discussion with the supplier they determined that there was a system error and the balance on the account was currently sitting at over £1,000, in debit, as energy usage had been estimated throughout the winter period. The advisor explained that Mrs M had not been able to get in touch to supply readings, despite her repeated attempts. Anchor’s advisor asked that no action be taken until the issue was resolved. He also raised that the estimated balance had been determined during the winter months and a price increase had occurred during this time. He requested that the bill be reversed, the usage be determined at the previous unit rate amount, and at the estimated rate it would be during summer months to reduce the balance. This reduced the bill amount to £365. Compensation was requested by the advisor for the shortfalls in customer service and inconvenience to Mrs M and £100 was applied to the account. The advisor also ensured that Mrs M was placed on the Priority Service Register (PSR) so that she would have her meter read every quarter by the supplier. He also made sure that the Warm Home Discount had been applied to her account for the 2022-23 winter. Finally, the advisor gave Mrs M information about the Southern Water social tariff to check if she could make further savings

with her water provider. Mrs M gained: • £704 saving on her estimated bill • £100 compensation • £150 Warm Home Discount payment.

Be Wise case study: Energy support payments

Mr T contacted the Be Wise team as he was concerned that he was not receiving his energy support scheme payments. His current energy supplier EON had advised Mr T that he was not eligible for the £400 energy support payments. A three-way call was made and after a detailed discussion, it was established that Mr T’s energy supply was misclassified as being a commercial energy supply. The EON customer service representative apologised for this error and was able to update the national database to show that Mr T had a residential energy supply. Mr T received a bulk payment of £400 for the energy support scheme which covered individual payments he should have received from October 2022 to March 2023. Mr T also received £50 compensation from EON due to the error that had occurred. Mr T was very happy with this outcome and has also been placed on the Priority Services Register. After being updated as residential customer on EON systems and the national database for electricity, Mr T will find out he whether he is eligible to receive the Warm Home Discount later this year. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has made changes to the Warm Home Discount and will notify Mr T in writing. Mr T gained: • £400 - Saving from bulk payment received for energy support scheme • £50 - Compensation • £150 – potential addition of the Warm Home Discount.

Be Wise case study: Housing Benefit

Peter and Keith, a mixed-age couple, recently found themselves facing a significant financial crisis due to an incorrect Housing Benefit (HB) decision by their Local Authority. They have been claiming Pension Credit for the last 10 years and shortly after relocating, they applied for HB. This was denied by the council as they felt the couple should make a Universal Credit (UC) claim as Keith was of working age. The council’s decision triggered a period of worry and uncertainty for Peter and Keith. The transition to UC would have meant a drastic reduction in their income, causing potential financial instability and emotional distress. Peter and Keith sought help from Be Wise on their local manager’s advice. With Peter’s consent, the Be Wise advisor contacted the council to discuss the issue on their behalf. An email was sent to the council’s benefits department the same day, requesting a revision of their decision and emphasising the need to consider protections for long-term Pension Credit claimants like Peter and Keith. The council responded promptly to our request and less than a week later, they had revised their decision and awarded £137.42 per week in HB to Peter and Keith. This amount was backdated to the day they moved in, ensuring they did not lose out on benefits they were entitled to. They said to the advisor “We would like to thank the advisor for helping us both with our claim for Housing Benefit. We had a few problems with our claim but Be Wise stepped in and got on with our case, so it was rectified straight away. The advisor was very professional and a good listener. We would like to thank the Be Wise team for all their help.”

Be Wise highlights from 2022-23:

23,000 calls handled

3,300 cases opened

Average of £4,900 gained by residents in income or savings

C5 - Longer term tenancies – over three years Security of tenure is a key enabler of our ambition for people to have a home where they love living in later life. Our rented housing tenancy policy sets out our position on granting tenancies and aims, in virtually every case, to grant the maximum security of tenure possible to tenants of both retirement housing and general needs housing. 99.9% of our tenancies are assured tenancies, which offer security of tenure and, as such, are often referred to as “lifetime tenancies”. We take a preventative approach in seeking to avoid tenancy breaches by residents, with embedded teams that work actively with residents to sustain tenancies. 99.9% of Anchor’s rental homes had at least a three-year fixed tenancy agreement or longer at 31 March 2023.

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68-69 Page 70-71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80-81 Page 82-83 Page 84-85 Page 86-87 Page 88-89 Page 90-91 Page 92-93 Page 94

Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting