ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS€¦ · Guest to Volunteer journey: developing a model to support Shelter guests into volunteering, theological concepts that are practised

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2016

Registered charity no. 294666

Registered company no. 02017207

A Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee and Not Having a Share Capital

HOUSING JUSTICE - ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 March 2016

Housing Justice – registered charity no. 294666 & registered company no. 02017207

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CONTENTS

Page

Legal and administrative information 2

Board of Trustees’ report 3

Independent examiner’s report 11

Statement of financial activities 12

Balance sheet 13

Notes to the financial statements 14

HOUSING JUSTICE - LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION For the year ended 31 March 2016


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President His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster Board of Trustees Susan Fallon (resigned October 2016) John Gilbert (resigned October 2015)

Paula Selina Ann Harvey (resigned October 2016) Rt Rev. James Henry Langstaff Brian O'Doherty Jennifer Ruth Rossiter Peter Mark Sanders Helen Kaye Savage (resigned October 2015) Richard David Trahair Peter Ceri Walters Chrishanti Yorke

Chief Executive Alison Gelder Charity reg. no. 294666 Company reg. no. 02017207 Registered address 256 Bermondsey Street

London SE1 3UJ

Independent examiner Mazars LLP

Times House Throwley Way Sutton Surrey SM1 4JQ

Accountant Andy Nash Accounting & Consultancy Ltd 71 – 75 Shelton Street Covent Garden London WC2H 9JQ Bankers The Royal Bank of Scotland plc

South Kensington Branch 29 Old Brompton Road London SW7 3JE CCLA Investment Management Ltd (COIF Chairty Funds) 80 Cheapside London EC2V 6DZ

HOUSING JUSTICE - BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2016


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The Board of Trustees, who are also directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, and trustees for charity law purposes, submit their annual report and the financial statements of Housing Justice for the year ended 31 March 2016. The Board of Trustees confirms that the annual report and financial statements of the Charity comply with current statutory requirements, including the Charity Act 2011, as well as the requirements of the Charity's governing document and the provisions of the ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), and the Companies Act 2006.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The charitable company's principal activities are to relieve poverty and distress by providing aid and assistance to those in housing need, regardless of race or religion, and to educate the public concerning the nature, causes and effect of poverty and distress.

The Vision of Housing Justice is of a society where everyone has access to a home that truly meets their needs.

Mission

Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and housing need. We believe that human dignity is challenged by the lack of a decent home and we aim to mobilise Christians, united in their determination to work with and for homeless and badly housed people.

Values

recognisably Christian and consistent with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching;

respecting the worth and dignity of each individual - caring for the whole person;

believing in social justice - priority to poor and marginalised people;

working for the highest quality in all we do – professionalism;

having authority - being recognised as a trusted source of expertise and information;

valuing difference - welcoming diversity in staff, services, and those whom we serve;

working in partnership - recognising the strength of working with others, both internally and externally; and

having integrity - accountability to each other and to all our stakeholders.

Statement of Public Benefit

Our main activities and who we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities focus on helping people who are homeless or in other housing need and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit. More specifically:

we support the work of churches working with homeless and badly housed people, for example through training, forums, networking and dissemination of good practice;

we encourage and enable more churches and individual Christians to tackle homelessness and bad housing;

we raise awareness of the problems of homelessness and bad housing in England and Wales; and

we act as a national advocate for the work of churches to tackle homelessness and bad housing and for the needs of the people they are helping.

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the charity. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and no Trustee receives any private benefit from the charity.

PROGRESS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Yet again this report is set in the context of increasing numbers of people in England and Wales experiencing the trauma of homelessness. At the same time, the very concept of social housing is under threat and more and more people are dependent upon the private rental sector for their homes. Sixty years ago in 1956 two Catholic women, Molly Walsh and Maisie Ward, decided that they needed to take action in response to the housing conditions faced by families in our country. They founded the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS), a key forebear of Housing Justice, and challenged the Church and their fellow Christians to join them in making a difference. As we begin to mark this important anniversary we are taking that challenge into churches with renewed vigour, determined that the scourge of homelessness and housing need can be defeated.

We continued our programme of Roadshows this year with a priority on working closely with local and regional partners, to make the day as useful and relevant as possible to the needs of the church in each part of the country. As the programme of Roadshows has progressed around the country we have developed and refined the programme using broadly the same format, but making sure to include speakers and workshop leaders able to address the agenda with in depth knowledge, and reach out to the wide audience we have attracted from churches, local authorities, homelessness and related voluntary agencies. The 2015/16 Roadshows took place in Manchester on 16 April, in partnership with Caritas Salford and the Booth Centre; in



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Exeter on 18 June in partnership with the Diocese of Exeter, St Petrock's, Chapter 1 and Exeter Community Initiatives; in London on 15 October, in partnership with Caritas Westminster and with Jon Sparkes of Crisis and Dan Wilson Craw of Generation Rent; and in Preston on 12 November, in partnership with Together in Lancashire, Caritas Care and Methodist Action NW.

1. Church and Community Night Shelters

In October 2015 we held our National Shelter Coordinator Conference at www.scargill.org.uk entitled “Forming Shelter Culture and seeing lives transformed”. Sessions included the Guest to Volunteer journey: developing a model to support Shelter guests into volunteering, theological concepts that are practised and lived out in shelter work, forming Shelter culture and how we support shelter guests in their journey towards personal transformation.

The Scargill Guest Residential/Retreat which we planned with a creative therapeutic emphasis was also a success in May 2015 with guests, volunteers and staff from five Shelter projects.

The Quality Mark continues to be effective in benchmarking standards, as well as giving evidence to the excellent standards of practice that are already in shelter projects. Where we have worked with projects and made recommendations, we have seen improvements made for volunteers and most importantly for guests. Shelter projects that achieved QM standard awards found the process helpful and constructive.

This season we have supported Churches and community groups to explore options and set up new Church and Community night shelter projects in Medway, Middlesbrough, Greater Manchester and Stoke on Trent.

The Shelter Impact report, collated data and outcomes from 34 winter shelter projects across England and Wales: altogether 2,171 guests were accommodated and an estimated 231,000 volunteer hours given to be alongside them through 70,000 separate volunteering attendances.

We have had a busy year with Shelter Forum meetings in London and Wales, running extra focus sessions in London, including supporting shelter projects to liaise with Crisis at Christmas, strength-based practise, mindfulness and a role for mentoring & befriending in supporting move-on, supporting Guests from Eastern Europe and working with young homeless people.

The Cinnamon Network did some work with us around supporting the development of our Shelters work and said “Housing Justice is a highly inspiration project, targeting a very difficult area of social need to address. The team’s

enthusiasm & skills in leading it are fantastic” - Phil Wilson, Cinnamon Network.

2. Mentoring and Befriending

This was the last year in which Housing Justice provided this service as a direct project. During the final stage of the project (2014 - 2016) 42 Outcomes Stars were completed with prospective mentees/befriendees, 6 post-project Outcomes Stars were completed; 29 matches were made; 11 relationships ended early and 1 was rematched; 13 relationships were completed by the end of March 2016 with 4 still ongoing. The next stage of the project will focus on the delivery of training and consultancy to mentoring and befriending projects run by other agencies or churches. Two such days were provided in the current year.

Overview 2014-16

100% of respondents either maintained or improved their scores for maintaining their tenancy/accommodation. 100% of respondents noted an improvement in their motivation and taking responsibility. Only one person stated a decrease in their social networks and relationships, and put this down to lack of finances to go to gigs and pubs; all the others noted an improvement of at least 30%. 50% of respondents noted a 50% improvement in their self-care and living skills, however the other 50% had scored themselves 10 at the outset and 10 after the relationship. 80% of respondents either maintained or improved their score for meaningful use of time – one mentee scored himself 9 at the outset and 7 at the close of the relationship; however, he had said that one of his goals was to get to a point where he doesn’t miss any lessons or days at school and stated at the closing evaluation that he was now up to date with his college work (which was an improvement) and that his attendance at college had also improved, so his scoring of himself on this seems inconsistent. 60% of mentees noted an improvement of at least 20% in their physical health; two mentees scored themselves the same at the beginning and the end of the interventions. One of these was the same mentee mentioned above, however he is a young person with autism and clinically obese who was getting no physical activity at all pre-intervention, but going to the gym with his mentor every week during the relationship and improving his performance, so the score seems inconsistent with the actual change in his ability. 80% of respondents noted an improvement in managing money, while one person’s score went down from 5 to 4, due (in his words) to smoking – he had begun and maintained a stop smoking programme to help with this.

Progress for mentees

One mentee (who is an Iraqi refugee) is working part time in media, which he equates partly to the relationship and support he had from his mentor. He took photographs at the Parliamentary reception for HJ and has offered to film any



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other events or volunteer in any way he can because he feels he has been helped.

One mentee puts her positive ESA decision (which had gone to tribunal level) down to the supporting letter she was given under the programme.

3. Faith in Affordable Housing (FIAH)

England

We have responded to three policy consultations:

Church Buildings Review Group, a joint working group of the Archbishops’ Council and the Church Commissioners. The FIAH response highlighted the opportunity to develop affordable housing on redundant church owned sites. However, disappointingly the report of the group omitted any reference to affordable housing as a possible use for redundant buildings. FIAH submitted a response to the report setting out the case for providing affordable housing by demolishing or converting all or part of redundant church buildings.

CLG committee on the Future of Housing Associations. FIAH said that churches and rural landowners would be deterred from providing land for affordable housing, especially at sub-market price, if the homes could then be sold to tenants at substantial discounts under the proposed right to buy for housing association tenants.

Proposed changes to National Planning Policy. FIAH urged the case for starter homes to be affordable in perpetuity.

We have made many presentations, including the following:

Methodist District Property secretaries (DPS) for England and Wales on the work of FIAH and the implications of Right to Buy for churches disposing of land for affordable housing.

Cambridgeshire Rural Housing partnership about the work of FIAH and the potential of church owned sites for affordable housing.

Rural Services Network event in Northallerton about the potential of church owned land for affordable housing.

Community Land Trust regional representatives about denominational land disposal policies and issues around best value.

We represent churches on the Rural Partnerships Steering Group, which has been set up to explore the potential for housing associations to work with rural landowners to provide affordable housing for local people. The group includes representatives of the National Housing Federation, the Homes and Communities Agency and rural housing associations.

London Churches Property Forum, which brings together key London church property decision makers to hear from informed speakers, share information, network and explore possibilities for joint projects. It includes representatives from most of the main church denominations in London.

Resource Material

FIAH webpages were updated and a note on best value added. The FIAH guide is in the process of being updated.

Affordable Housing Projects

At end of March 2016, discussions were continuing on 8 sites across England. 17 new enquiries were received for England in 2015-16.

Future

FIAH role is being widened to include advice on other sub market housing solutions such as Community Land Trusts, community housing and groups including Green Pastures.

Faith in Affordable Housing (Wales)

We attended Housing Justice Roadshows in Manchester and Exeter and led well attended workshops on FIAH. Planning started for a Wrexham Roadshow.

Construction was well underway on two FIAH sites during the year, which will deliver 31 affordable homes. Church View in Merthyr Tydfil, and the former Carey Baptist church in Bridgend.

Discussions progressed on approximately 25 sites across Wales. Most notable are St Matthews in Newport, which Pobl Group will develop into twelve flats for older people, St John’s, Swansea, which will see five bungalows, and land at Pentyrch Street Baptist Church, Cardiff which will deliver six flats.

We attended a meeting with CADW and denominational Property Heads to discuss the Historic Environment Bill and its impact on religious buildings. As a result, we were able to influence the production of a Strategic Action Plan for Religious Buildings

Networking meetings were held with a number of key organisations to discuss joint working with Housing Justice. This included, Shelter Cymru, the Salvation Army, Cytun, Gweini and the Cinnamon Network

We acquired a rugby ball signed by the Welsh 2015/16 team, to be auctioned to raise money for the work of Housing Justice in Wales.

We attended the Homes for Wales Rally in Cardiff, which was organised to highlight the need for more affordable housing in Wales. The rally was non-political and organised by Community Housing Cymru.



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The role of the FIAH Coordinator in Wales continued to expand. This included meetings with Christians dealing with the refugee crisis and rehousing trafficked women and looking at alternative models of housing. This included a visit to the Amazing Spaces project in Newport.

Work was also carried out to prepare the case for setting up a Welsh arm of Housing Justice, which will launch in September 2016.

4. Advocacy and resourcing

Following the election of the Conservative Government in May 2015 we have sought to engage with the new ministerial team, particularly around the contribution of Night Shelters. We have also provided support and encouragement to members of the House of Lords, including our Chair Rt Rev James Langstaff, as they proposed amendments and debated the Housing and Planning Bill (now Act) in its passage through parliament. We worked closely with the public affairs team at Caritas Social Action Network on this and other legislation, such as the Immigration Act, during the year. We held a reception in the House of Lords to mark the beginning of our celebration of the Sixtieth Anniversary of CHAS. The reception was addressed by Pastor Victoria Lawrence as well as our Chair, Chief Executive, and a Night Shelter volunteer.

The Service of Commemoration for those who died homeless in the London region takes place each year during Remembrance Week at St Martin-in-the-Fields, organised in partnership with Housing Justice and the Connection at St Martin’s. This years’ service, held on the 5th November, included the names of 194 people who died, whether still on the streets, in hostels or people who have moved in to accommodation after being homeless. ‘Springing up to Eternal Life’ was the theme and the name of every homeless person who had died during the year was read out by representatives of The Connection at St Martin’s, The Passage, Crisis and the Pavement. The service included the reflections of people with personal experiences of homelessness, remembering others they have known who have died. The reflection was led by Revd Canon Steve Saxby, Executive Officer of London Churches Social Action, and Vicar of St Barnabas Church in Walthamstow.

The London Soup Run Forum continued to meet over the year, led by a small steering group of people including representatives from Housing Justice, Simon Community, All Souls Local Action Network, Imperial College Community Action Group and Streets Kitchen.

The London Christian Homeless Forum also met bi–monthly over the year, alternating venues between Housing Justice and Mount Street Jesuit Centre. Speakers and themes included Pam Orchard CEO of Providence Row on “Food and Homelessness”, and how they are building a catering social enterprise; Alison Wood of Ealing Churches Winter Shelter

on the value of supportive peer relationships to homeless people and Mark Kitson of Cinnamon Network on “Christians and Competition” and the importance of quality in all that we do as Christians and organisations serving people who are homeless.

Our Birmingham based homelessness development worker, Emma Neill continues to facilitate The Birmingham Christian Homeless Forum- a network of faith based services offering accommodation and support in the West Midlands area. Services that take part in this network include a night shelter, drop in centres, advice services, drug and alcohol services and services supporting those on release from prison. These services provide varying degrees of support to rough sleepers, many of whom have no recourse to public funds. The forum is a valuable point of contact to develop partnerships and a more coordinated response to issues that affect people who are homeless in Birmingham and homeless services, including smaller, grass roots groups.

She is currently working with a group of members, including Caritas Archdiocese of Birmingham, in the development of a new project which will provide accommodation and support to those rough sleeping, including those with no recourse to public funds, all year round- working with other larger local partners around areas of support and employability.

5. Homeless Sunday 24th January 2016

Sunday 24th January saw a large number of churches and individual Christians from England, Scotland and Wales praying for, remembering and committing themselves in tangible action to address the plight of the thousands of homeless people, as part of the 2016 Homeless Sunday campaign. For the first time ever we sold out of prayer cards.

The highlight of this year's campaign was the release of the song, On the Road Together written by Alastair Murray. It was screened at the Homeless Sunday Fundraiser opened by our Chair of Trustees. On Homeless Sunday, Adam May travelled to Dunstable to review the papers on BBC Three Counties Radio with Helen Legh; Alastair Murray himself spoke to a number of BBC Local Radio stations and preached at his local church; and there was a package interview on BBC Essex with Alison mentioning the death of a homeless person in Southend ahead of her preaching engagement at Westcliff on Sea Free Church. Peter Sanders preached in Southampton and Emma Neill in Sandbach. We also heard that BBC Sussex and Surrey, BBC Humberside, BBC Sheffield and other radio stations played the song on the day itself. And in Derby, at a Cathedral Eucharist, the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redford preached on the subject of homelessness.

Christians also took to Twitter to tweet and share the video, using the hashtag #HomelessWelcome to highlight this day. Tweeters included the official social media account of the Church of England, Bishop James, Canon Mark Russell and other partners working in the field of homelessness.



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In November 2015 the Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a revised liturgical calendar for 2016. The changes included moving Racial Justice Sunday from September (where it has been marked ecumenically) to the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday. This meant that there was an unplanned clash with Homeless Sunday in January. Since Easter is much later in 2017 this will not recur then and so we will stick with the programme already announced making Homeless Sunday 2017, 22nd January.

6. Migrant Destitution

Housing Justice has been involved for a number of years in supporting hosting initiatives in London through the London Hosting project partnership. It was decided in 2015 that we should take a more active and direct role in running a hosting scheme in London for a number of reasons, such as our close relationships with the Church and Community Night Shelter projects in London, each of which accommodates people with no recourse to public funds. Also the EU migrant and refugee crisis and the associated tragedies in the Mediterranean which caught public attention in the Summer of 2015 meant that HJ received a huge volume of enquiries from the public and press about how people could support initiatives to make refugees welcome in the UK.

Our Housing Justice Hosting project received a grant from NACCOM in the autumn of 2015 enabling us to start work on the project, followed by a grant from City Bridge Trust at the start of 2016 to employ a full time worker, since followed by 3 years funding from Oak Foundation. We have already recruited over 20 hosts willing to share their homes temporarily with migrants and refugees while their asylum or immigration casework is taken forward. Detailed risk management and safeguarding inform all our procedures, and we are also able to contribute to the work of NACCOM who recruited our Director of Projects to their national Board in January 2015.

Alongside this we have continued our participation in the Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution which is a partnership with Homeless Link, the British Red Cross, Refugee Action, Refugee Council, NACCOM and the Migrants Rights Network. to form a Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution. The aim of the alliance is to bring together organisations from the homelessness and refugee sectors in order to create more accommodation, advice and support for destitute migrants and refugees in England. The first focus of the Alliance is on provision for migrants with No Recourse to Public Funds who originate from outside the European Economic Area.

PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS

We continue to believe that individual Christians, churches and church-linked projects all have a key role to play in the prevention of homelessness and bad housing. In the coming year we will again strive to raise awareness with national and local government and in the broader homelessness sector of the valuable contribution made by churches in this area. At the same time, we will seek to improve the quality and range of services Christians and churches offer, in particular through our work with winter shelters and in encouraging and enabling churches to use spare land for the creation of new genuinely affordable housing.

During 2016/17, in addition to celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of CHAS, we will plan to launch HJ Cymru as a further development of our work in Wales. We will also be seeking to grow our relationship with black-led churches, building on our links with Pastor Victoria Lawrence, and our partnerships with the growing network of diocesan Caritas organisations in the Catholic Churches and Church Urban Fund Together organisations in the Church of England. Our relationship with the Quakers will be cemented by their employment of a housing intern who will be based at Housing Justice.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

The Trustees meet on a regular basis to discuss operational matters and to formulate policy.

Trustees are recruited by word of mouth and through national advertising. Applicants are provided with an information pack with details of the constitution and history of the organisation, its structure, objectives and activities, roles and expectation of the trustees, plus other supporting information. They are interviewed by a panel of at least two existing Trustees and successful candidates are recommended for appointment. Persons appointed during the year are confirmed in post by a vote of members at the Annual General Meeting.

The induction process includes meeting with the Chairperson, and with the Chief Executive at the charity’s office. Trustees are provided with a reference folder containing information on the activities and financing of the charity, management structure, key job descriptions, meeting schedules and charity commission guidelines and codes of conduct relating to the roles and responsibilities of Trustees. Additional training is provided to all Trustees on an ad-hoc basis as required.



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Various meetings are held throughout the year enabling Trustees to meet and interact with diverse stakeholders in the organisation.

The Trustees determine the strategy of the charitable company.

Housing Justice is committed to full and open consultation and communication with employees. There are also regular staff meetings, team meetings and Staff Away Days. In the autumn there is a joint Board/Staff Away Day.

Housing Justice remains committed to equal opportunities and diversity in all aspects of its operations and employment practices.

The Charity is served by a dedicated Board of Trustees who are responsible for its overall strategy and performance and receive no remuneration. The Board conducts its business through regular meetings and is supported by a chief executive. The chief executive acts within the authority delegated to her.

The Trustees constitute Directors of the charitable company for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006 and Trustees for the purposes of the Charities Act 2011. One third of the Trustees are subject to re-election annually.

Reference and administrative details

Legal and administrative details are shown on page 2 of the financial statements, including a full list of the Trustees who served the Charity during the period up until the date of the signing of this report. The Charity is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

No Trustee received any remuneration for services during the year (2015: £Nil). Expenses of £93 were reimbursed in 2016 (2015: £329). No Trustee had any beneficial interest in any contract with the charitable company. No Trustee waived expenses during the year. No Trustee has made any restricted donations during the year.

The chief executive during the year was Alison Gelder. She is not a member of the company and has no legal status as director although she acts as an executive within the authority delegated by the Trustees

Accountability

The organisation sends out 4,500 copies of an Annual Review, giving a picture of the year’s activities, to all our members, donors and other friends and supporters. The Annual Review for 2015/16, the twelfth for Housing Justice, will be sent out to a similar mailing list including all our donors and supporters in December 2016. We hold an AGM each year to which members are invited.

Risk Management

The Trustees have identified and categorised the major risks to which the charity may be exposed and have set up systems and procedures to mitigate them. There are sound internal controls in force to safeguard the charity’s assets. Suitable accounting policies and practice are long established. Required insurance, fidelity and indemnity policies are held. Budgets are set annually, and variances regularly reviewed. A three-year Business Plan and strategy has been drawn up, and performance is regularly monitored. Health and safety, equal opportunities and quality standards are prioritised. Records and archives are securely stored, and electronic data carefully protected.

The principal risks and uncertainties facing Housing Justice and the strategies in place for managing them are as follows:

1. Negative publicity and damage to our reputation bringing Housing Justice into disrepute

This could include legal action taken against us as a result of staff, trustees or Steering Group members making comments or expressing opinions in the media (including social media), or in public speeches or other public fora, or in published articles or other publications.

Controls already in place include: a formal complaints procedure is in place; all articles for publication are required to be checked for accuracy by the Chief Executive or Director of Projects before being submitted for publication; as a charitable company Housing Justice is already regulated by the Charity Commission and Companies House.

2. Loss of key members of staff

This is a particular risk in respect of the Chief Executive; the Director of Projects; the Fundraising Development Coordinator; and the Executive Administrator.

Controls already in place include: a review of the main terms and conditions of employment is planned and will include the extension of the notice period required from key staff members.

Specific plans are in place for three scenarios:

A key member of staff decides to seek other employment or retire;

A key member of staff has an accident, sudden illness or other incapacity, and is unable to work for a period of one to six months; and

Something suddenly happens to a key member of staff which would prevent them ever returning to work.



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3. Fundraising

Failure to achieve fundraising targets and/or appeal income collapses

Controls already in place include: sources of funding are diversified and there is a funding strategy for each project; fundraising receipts are monitored and alternative plans deployed if an income source fails; there are contingency plans to cut expenditure or suspend projects if fundraising fails

Reserves policy

The Trustees continue to monitor and update their reserves policy based on an assessment of funds required for current work, development plans and unforeseen circumstances. There is a Restricted Reserve of £9,102 (2015: £7,772) which is mainly accrued grants for the Faith in Affordable Housing project. This leaves an unrestricted reserve of £105,886 (2015: £46,275) which corresponds to 5.7 months of unrestricted expenditure (2015: 2.8 months). The Trustees aim to continue to build up the general reserve to a sum equivalent to six months' outgoings over the next three years.

Financial results

Details of the organisation's activities for the year are set out in the financial statements on pages 12 to 23. The net movement in funds for the year was a surplus of £60,941 (2015: deficit £59,144). This is made up of an unrestricted surplus before transfers from unrestricted to restricted reserves of £106,776 and a restricted deficit of £45,835 as restricted funds brought forward from previous years have been utilised during the year.

Statement of going concern

The Trustees believe the charity to be a going concern. Multi-year grant funding agreements are in place to cover significant proportions of the costs of the CCNS and Hosting projects and about 50% of the costs of work in Birmingham.

Remuneration policy

Remuneration for all staff is set through periodic pay reviews which refer to comparable posts in charities within the same income range and carrying out similar work. Reference is also taken of specifically Christian charities. When income allows, an annual cost of living increase is made for all staff, based on the amount awarded for cost of living for Church of England staff based in London.

The key management personnel during the course of the year were: the chief executive, Alison Gelder and Director of Projects, Alastair J Murray.

Fixed Assets

Details are set out in note 9 of the financial statements.

STATEMENT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law they are required to prepare the financial statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the excess of income over expenditure for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements, and;

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue its activities.

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charitable company and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. In addition the trustees confirm that they are happy that content of the annual review in pages 3 to 10 of this document meet the requirements of both the Trustees’



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Annual Report under charity law and the Directors’ Report under company law.

They also confirm that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014.

PREPARATION OF THE REPORT

This report has been prepared taking advantage of the small companies exemption of section 415A of the Companies Act 2006, and the exemptions available for smaller charities under the Statement of Recommended Practice.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS

Mazars LLP were appointed as the independent examiner during the year and a resolution proposing their re-appointment will be submitted at the Annual General Meeting.

This report was approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 2nd December 2016 and signed on its behalf by:

Chrishanti Yorke

Trustee

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2016


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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Board of Trustees of Housing Justice (registered charity no. 294666 & registered company no. 02017207)

I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2016, which are set out on pages 12 to 23.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

This report, including my statement, has been prepared for and only for the charity’s trustees as a body. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body for my examination work, for this report, or for the statements I have made.

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention

1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, and comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities

have not been met; or

2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Nicola Wakefield

for and on behalf of Mazars LLP

Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor

Times House Throwley Way Sutton Surrey SM1 4JQ Dated:

HOUSING JUSTICE - STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (incorporating Income and Expenditure Account & Statement of Realised Gains and Losses) For the year ended 31 March 2016


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*All income from investments and other sources was unrestricted in both the current and prior year.

** Income and expenditure for the prior year has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended Practice. Total income and expenditure for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total

Funds Funds Funds Funds

2016 2016 2016 2015**

Notes £ £ £ £

Income from:

Donations 2 316,370 149,736 466,106 350,472

Charitable activities 3 12,406 5,871 18,277 17,797

Investments* 146 - 146 171

Other* 61 - 61 271

Total income 328,983 155,607 484,590 368,711

Expenditure on:

Raising funds 4 & 5 74,209 - 74,209 72,672

Charitable activities:

Projects 4 & 6 109,756 149,390 259,146 226,984

Policy and information 4 & 6 38,242 52,052 90,294 128,199

Total expenditure 222,207 201,442 423,649 427,855

Net income/(expenditure) 106,776 (45,835) 60,941 (59,144)

Transfer between funds 12 (47,165) 47,165 - -

Net movement in funds 59,611 1,330 60,941 (59,144)

Reconciliation of funds:

Total funds brought forward 12 46,275 7,772 54,047 113,191

Total funds carried forward 12 105,886 9,102 114,988 54,047

HOUSING JUSTICE - BALANCE SHEET As at 31 March 2016


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The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with section 415A of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and FRS 102 Section 1A.

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2016, and the members have not required

the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2016 under section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

They were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 2nd December 2016 and signed on their behalf by:

Chrishanti Yorke

Trustee

Notes 2016 2015

£ £ £ £

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets 9 9,890 351

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors and prepayments 10 59,616 60,117

Short term investments 55,838 15,708

Cash at bank and in hand 92,392 22,234

207,846 98,059

CREDITORS: amounts falling

due within one year 11 (102,748) (44,363)

NET CURRENT ASSETS 105,098 53,696

NET ASSETS 114,988 54,047

FUNDS

Restricted funds 12 9,102 7,772

Unrestricted funds:

General funds 12 105,886 46,275

105,886 46,275

114,988 54,047

HOUSING JUSTICE - NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 March 2016


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1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation of the financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The effect of any event relating to the year ended 31 March 2016, which occurred before the date of approval of the financial statements by the Board of Trustees has been included in the financial statements to the extent required to show a true and fair view of the state of affairs at 31 March 2016 and the results for the year ended on that date.

Using the exemption available to smaller charities under Update Bulletin 1 to the SORP, published on 2 February 2016, the Board of Trustees has chosen not to include a Statement of Cash Flows within the financial statements.

Transition to FRS 102

The opening fund balances at the date of transition have been reviewed as required in making the transition to FRS 102 but not restated as the transition had no material impact on the balances reported previously. In addition, the cost allocation model has been amended to take account of this transition and the prior year figures represented using the new model. The transition date was 1 April 2014.

Legal status

Housing Justice is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales, and meets the definition of a public benefit entity. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Charity. The registered office is 256 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UJ.

Fund Accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise of unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in note 12 of the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in note 12 of the financial statements.

Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance indicators attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Donations and membership fees are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when entitled, receipt is probable and when the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Gift aid receivable is included when claimable.

Grant income is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier, unless the grant relates to a future period, in which case it is deferred.

Legacy income is only recognised when receipt is highly probable and the amount can be reliably measured.

Income from charitable activities is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier, unless it relates to a specific future period or event, in which case it is deferred.

Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities.

Indirect costs, including governance costs, which cannot be directly attributed to activities, are allocated between cost centres on estimates of time and effort spent and space used as follows:

Projects 50% Policy and Information 40% Fundraising 10%

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of expenditure for which it was incurred.



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Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

All assets costing more than £500 are capitalised.

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets, less their residual value, over their useful life, on a straight-line basis. The useful life used is:

Computer equipment 3 years

Leasing

Rentals payable under operating leases are taken to the statement of financial activities on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Pensions

Housing Justice operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Pension contributions are charged to the statement of financial activities when due and payable. These contributions are invested separately from the charity's assets.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash in hand, deposits with banks and funds that are readily convertible into cash at, or close to, their carrying values, but are not held for investment purposes.

Short term investments

Short term investments includes funds that are held on short term deposit for investment purposes with CCLA Investment Management Limited and earn interest only. These were previously incorrectly classified as long term investments.

Debtors and prepayments

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount is applied. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

Creditors

Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party, and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.

2. INCOME FROM DONATIONS

Unrestricted Restricted Total

Funds Funds Funds

2016 2016 2016

£ £ £

Grant income 28,900 146,406 175,306

Donations 115,712 3,330 119,042

Appeals and events 79,754 - 79,754

Legacies 92,004 - 92,004

Total income from donations 316,370 149,736 466,106



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Income has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended

Practice. Total income for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.

3. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Income has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended

Practice. Total income for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.


Funds Funds Funds

2015 2015 2015

£ £ £

Grant income 34,670 135,455 170,125

Donations 103,117 - 103,117

Appeals and events 74,730 - 74,730

Legacies 2,500 - 2,500

Total income from donations 215,017 135,455 350,472


Funds Funds Funds

2016 2016 2016

£ £ £

Shelter Support & Set Up - 5,871 5,871

Consultancy 6,738 - 6,738

Training and conferences 5,113 - 5,113

Sale of resources 555 - 555

Total income from charitable activities 12,406 5,871 18,277


Funds Funds Funds

2015 2015 2015

£ £ £

Shelter Support & Set Up 7,435 - 7,435

Consultancy 841 - 841

Training and conferences 9,298 - 9,298

Sale of resources 223 - 223

Total income from charitable activities 17,797 - 17,797



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4. TOTAL EXPENDITURE

Indirect costs, including governance costs, which cannot be directly attributed to activities, are allocated between cost centres on estimates of time and effort spent and space used as follows:

Projects 50% Policy and Information 40% Fundraising 10%

An analysis of costs of raising funds split between restricted and unrestricted funds can be found in note 5.

An analysis of charitable activities split between restricted and unrestricted funds can be found in note 6.

Expenditure has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended Practice. Total expenditure for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.

Indirect costs includes the following:

Total

Staff Other Staff Other Funds

2016 2016 2016 2016 2016

£ £ £ £ £

Costs of raising funds 51,236 7,203 2,482 13,288 74,209

Charitable activities

Projects 175,749 4,546 12,409 66,442 259,146

Policy and information 16,162 11,052 9,927 53,153 90,294

243,147 22,801 24,818 132,883 423,649

Direct costs Indirect costs

Total

Staff Other Staff Other Funds

2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

£ £ £ £ £

Costs of raising funds 48,017 5,232 5,135 14,288 72,672

Charitable activities

Projects 129,099 767 25,676 71,442 226,984

Policy and information 40,293 10,212 20,541 57,153 128,199

217,409 16,211 51,352 142,883 427,855

Direct costs Indirect costs

2016 2015

£ £

Independent examiner's fee 2,394 2,394

Trustee expenses 93 411

Depreciation 2,821 944

5,308 3,749



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5. COSTS OF RAISING FUNDS

Expenditure has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended

Practice. Total expenditure for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.


Funds Funds Funds

2016 2016 2016

£ £ £

Direct staff costs 51,236 - 51,236

Direct other costs 7,203 - 7,203

Indirect costs 15,770 - 15,770

74,209 - 74,209


Funds Funds Funds

2015 2015 2015

£ £ £



Indirect costs 19,423 - 19,423

72,672 - 72,672



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6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Expenditure has been re-presented in accordance with the classification in the new Statement of Recommended

Practice. Total expenditure for year ended 31 March 2015 remains unchanged.


Funds Funds Funds

2016 2016 2016

£ £ £

Projects

Direct staff costs 74,435 101,314 175,749

Direct other costs 1,925 2,621 4,546

Indirect costs 33,396 45,455 78,851

109,756 149,390 259,146

Policy and information

Direct staff costs 6,845 9,317 16,162

Direct other costs 4,681 6,371 11,052

Indirect costs 26,716 36,364 63,080

38,242 52,052 90,294

147,998 201,442 349,440


Funds Funds Funds

2015 2015 2015

£ £ £

Projects

Direct staff costs - 129,099 129,099

Direct other costs - 767 767

Indirect costs - 97,118 97,118

- 226,984 226,984

Policy and information



Indirect costs 77,303 391 77,694

127,808 391 128,199

127,808 227,375 355,183



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7. STAFF NUMBERS AND COSTS

The average weekly number of employees, calculated as full time equivalents, during the period was:

The average headcount during the period was 11 persons

(2015 – 11 persons).

No employee received employee benefits of more than

£60,000 (2015 – NIL).

The total remuneration paid to key management personnel

during the year was £70,640 (2015: £83,250).

8. PENSION COSTS

The charitable company operates a defined contribution

pension scheme. The assets of the schemes are held

separately from those of the charity in independently

administered funds. Contributions payable by the society

amounted to £17,019 (2015 £13,711).

No amounts were outstanding at year end.

Pension costs are allocated between activities and funds on

the same basis as relevant salary costs.

2016 2015

£ £

Staff Salaries 231,322 235,902

Employer's national insurance 19,624 19,148

Employer's pension 17,019 13,711

267,965 268,761

2016 2015

Number Number

Fundraising 0.8 2.1

Projects 4.1 3.8

Policy and information 0.8 1.7

Central Services/Finance 2.8 1.1

8.5 8.7



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9. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

10. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS

11. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Computer

equipment Total

£ £

Cost

At 1 April 2015 1,643 1,643

Additions in year 12,360 12,360

Disposals in year (944) (944)

At 31 March 2016 13,059 13,059

Depreciation

At 1 April 2015 1,292 1,292

Charge for year 2,821 2,821

Disposals in year (944) (944)

At 31 March 2016 3,169 3,169

Net book value

At 1 April 2015 351 351

At 31 March 2016 9,890 9,890

2016 2015

£ £

Legacy income due 25,228 25,000

Gift aid due 20,604 9,849

Rent deposit 6,250 6,250

Trade debtors 6,070 9,667

Other debtors 500 810

Prepayments 964 8,541

59,616 60,117

2016 2015

£ £

Interest free loan 40,570 40,570

HMRC payable 1,319 (241)

Other creditors 8,033 (661)

Accruals 52,826 4,695

102,748 44,363



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12. ANALYSIS OF CHARITY FUNDS

The Birmingham project funds are held for work in the Birmingham and West Midlands area.

The Faith in Affordable Housing fund includes donations from the Tudor Trust and others to support this project to promote affordable housing.

The Mentoring and Befriending fund includes donations in support of this outreach project to support current or ex rough sleepers seeking or entering accommodation.

The Winter Shelters fund contains donations for supporting night shelters.

The No Recourse to Public Funds includes donations and grants for supporting homeless individuals with no recourse to public funds.

Other funds are to be used for work in North West England.

Unrestricted funds were used to offset any deficits on individual restricted funds at year end.

13. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

14. TRUSTEE REMUNERATION

During the year, no trustee received any remuneration (2015 - £NIL). One member of the Board of Trustees received

reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses of £93 in 2016 (2015: 3 members - £329).

Balance Income Expenditure Transfer Balance

brought for the in the between carried

forward period period funds forward

£ £ £ £ £

Unrestricted funds 46,275 328,983 (222,207) (47,165) 105,886

Restricted funds

Birmingham Project - 12,242 (25,115) 12,873 -

Faith in Affordable Housing 4,053 51,140 (56,065) 872 -

Mentoring & Befriending - 18,275 (42,490) 24,215 -

Winter Shelters - 51,100 (60,067) 9,205 238

No Recourse to Public Funds - 22,850 (17,705) - 5,145

Other 3,719 - - - 3,719

Restricted funds 7,772 155,607 (201,442) 47,165 9,102

Total funds 54,047 484,590 (423,649) - 114,988


Funds Funds Funds

£ £ £

Tangible fixed assets 9,890 - 9,890

Cash at bank 83,290 9,102 92,392

Other net current assets 12,706 - 12,706

105,886 9,102 114,988



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15. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

During the year there were no transactions carried out with related parties (2015 - £NIL).

16. GOING CONCERN

The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis as the Board of Trustees is confident that future reserves and future income is more than sufficient to

meet current commitments. There are no material uncertainties that impact this assessment.

17. OTHER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

At 31 March 2016, the Charity had future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as set out below:

Land and Office Land and Office

buildings equipment buildings equipment

2016 2016 2015 2015

£ £ £ £

Operating lease due within:

within one year 26,834 2,093 25,869 2,842

within two to five years 53,668 8,372 77,607 -

Documents

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