Liverpool-based Cobalt Housing is one of our many borrowers that reports against the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing. The standard was created in 2020 and aims to promote the sector’s credentials across Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics. Adopters are required to report against 48 criteria, spanning 12 themes.
Below is a case study which demonstrates how Cobalt meets theme 4 of the standard: resident support.

Resident Support

As a community anchor institution, Cobalt provides support far beyond its core landlord function. This year Cobalt’s employment and training team helped eight tenants gain employment, with another 40 receiving training and employment advice. The welfare team secured almost £1.5m in extra benefits for tenants, as well as supporting 54 tenants with white goods and utility top ups.

Cobalt also works with debt charities to provide support for tenants experiencing financial distress. Three food pantries were established to provide low cost groceries, saving each resident around £850 a year on shopping bills.

The community fund provided funding for 26 projects during the year, including a 10-week Gateway 4 Growth project supporting the wellbeing of young people not in education, employment or training, a bespoke yoga course for young people on the autism spectrum, a six-week paediatric first aid course for 30 parents at Fazakerley and Croxteth Children’s Centre and the River of Life intergenerational community choir, among many others. An independent evaluation of the social value created by these projects, which Cobalt has helped fund, measured the social return on investment at £26.92 per £1 spent.