Initial Challenges
Community Housing, managing 6,000 tenants, faced significant challenges in addressing rent arrears. Of the tenant base, 2,360 residents were in arrears, posing financial strain on the organisation. The primary challenges included:
Manual Processes: Traditional recovery methods, such as letters and manual calls, were time-intensive and inefficient. Completing over 2,200 calls would have taken more than 23 days, even without factoring in delays caused by letters.
Environmental Costs: The reliance on paper-based communication led to increased carbon footprints, with printing and postage adding unnecessary environmental and financial costs.
Tenant Engagement: Letters often went unanswered, and calls required substantial staffing resources, limiting the ability to engage effectively with all tenants.
Yokeru’s Implementation
Yokeru introduced an automated platform tailored to streamline Community Housing’s rent arrears recovery process, offering faster, more environmentally sustainable communication. The solution included:
Automated Calls: Clear, concise messaging options enabled tenants to discuss balances, seek financial advice, or confirm payments through a simple phone call.
Pilot Phase: Tested with 35 tenants, yielding positive feedback and results, which prompted full deployment.
Seamless Deployment: The system scaled rapidly to 900 tenants, automating 2,234 calls with minimal setup time.
Process and Setup
Calls were initiated to tenants during appropriate hours, offering simple prompts for immediate engagement.
The system provided real-time updates, tracking tenant responses and feeding data directly into Community Housing’s case management system.
Sustainability was prioritised by eliminating paper communication, reducing environmental costs, and expediting engagement.
£105,000 estimated recovery
2,234 call attempts made,
reaching 900 tenants during deployment.
36.4% pickup rate:
328 tenants answered the calls, showcasing the effectiveness of automated communication.
75.6% engagement rate:
246 tenants responded to calls, with many discussing balances, seeking advice, or confirming payments.
Achievements
Efficiency Gains: Automated calls expedited tenant communication, saving over 23 days of manual work for 2,234 calls.
Sustainability Impact: The elimination of paper letters reduced the environmental footprint and operational costs.
Improved Engagement: The platform strengthened tenant relationships, ensuring proactive support for financial distress.
Scalability and Reliability: The system handled large volumes seamlessly, demonstrating the potential to scale across Community Housing’s tenant base.
Tenant Actions:
193 tenants discussed balances, with 153 immediate responses and 40 callbacks.
28 tenants confirmed payments directly through the system.
17 tenants sought financial advice, showcasing the platform’s capacity to support tenants in need.
Environmental Benefits:
Eliminated the need for paper-based communication, reducing the environmental impact of printing and postage.
Automated calls enabled faster responses compared to traditional mail, significantly reducing turnaround time for tenant engagement.
Conclusion
Yokeru’s automated platform transformed Community Housing’s rent arrears recovery process, delivering measurable results like a £105,000 potential recovery and improving engagement rates to 75.6%. By prioritising efficiency and sustainability, this partnership highlights the power of technology in modern housing management.
