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The Communities that Work week will officially launch next week, running from 20th-24th May 2019.

Led by Give Us A Chance (GUAC), the national, social housing-backed body, the event forms part of a wider campaign to raise awareness of the work housing providers do to help social housing tenants into fulfilling, long-term work.

Commenting on the launch, GUAC’s managing director, Lynsey Sweeney, said: “I am delighted to kick off Communities that Work week.

“The level of support and participation from the sector has been overwhelming, and we are expecting to see a record number of housing associations coming together to showcase the work that housing providers do to help people access employment opportunities.

Throughout the week a series of sector events are planned, including:

  • Two ministerial visits: Will Quince visiting a Metropolitan Thames Valley scheme in East London, and Employment Minister Alok Sharma visiting an L&Q employment scheme in Barking
  • The launch of the Housing Works report, introduced by Lord Best at a House of Lords reception
  • The announcement of the social media competition’s three winners. Backed by 24housing, the winners will be featured in the publication and will receive up to £500 from GUAC toward any skills and employment course
  • News of the new Parliamentary Inquiry from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Housing and Employment

The Communities that Work campaign originally launched on 27th November at the House of Commons, and is intended as a direct response to a recent IPPR Report that showed social housing tenants are more likely to be unemployed than residents in any other tenure type in the UK.

The social housing sector is the largest private investor tackling unemployment among social housing tenants. Housing associations alone invest around £70m a year in employment and training support programmes.