Building on our past to create a better future

In 2008 Cordale commissioned independent consultants to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the work the organisation has done to date and develop a framework by which they can measure future progress.

The 42-page report by DTZ Consulting and Research, entitled ‘Evaluation of the Performance of Cordale Housing Association,’ recognises Cordale’s role as a catalyst for social change in Renton. It also quantifies the financial return on the Association’s community-led investment.

DTZ developed an analytical tool to measure the impact Cordale has had on key areas. For some themes it was able to put an actual ‘value’ on the role of the housing association for others a qualitative impact is recorded.

Renton was benchmarked against West Dunbartonshire as a whole plus two other localised areas and DTZ compared data on key topics including health; employment; benefit dependency; crime; housing; community facilities; education and deprivation.

Areas where DTZ measured marked improvements and savings in Renton included the following:

• number of tenants on housing benefit falling from 70% to 50% over a five year period with a saving of £110,300 pa
• rate of claimants on Job Seekers Allowance falling by 20% in line with West Dunbartonshire saving £5,000 pa
• job creation (26 direct and 141 indirect) between 2001 – 2006 generating approx £350,000 additional income in Renton pa
• income deprivation – in 2004 Renton was the most deprived of the three areas measured by 2006 it was the least deprived and had moved out of the 15% most deprived data zones in Scotland
• dramatic reduction in crime and offence rates over eight year period from 1998 which based on Home Office estimates of costs by crime types resulted in a saving of just under £600,000 in eight years
• housing management indicators including average re-let times; arrears and void loss – all fell steeply over seven years from 1999
• educational attainment increased from 70% to 77% from 2002 – 2005 and is almost on par with West Dunbartonshire

The researchers also calculated that from 2002 – 2008 Cordale spent an average of £89,000 a year on community-led investment which was instrumental in achieving annual savings/benefits to Renton of £412,000.

Stephen Gibson, Director of Cordale Housing Association, said: “This report quantifies for the first time the financial benefits that Cordale is having in Renton. This shows that for every pound we are putting into community investments the people of Renton are getting more than £4.60 in savings and benefits. These are benchmarks that we can build on in the future both here in Renton and in other communities in West Dunbartonshire.”