Tazmin, a Coastline customer, has been getting involved with Community Standard Inspections (CSIs) taking place in her neighbourhood and has written this piece for us about the impact she thinks they have.
We hold Community Standard Inspections on a rolling basis across all of our neighbourhoods. You can find out more here.
Tazmin says:
"There has been a correlation between a decrease in anti-social behaviour and the CSI walkabouts in my area and I highly recommend all Coastline tenants find out when their inspections are and get involved.
"When the CSI teams went around, it provided a space where I could discuss concerns, highlight what works and what doesn't, whilst being able to show the community that a co-productive relationship with the housing association is a benefit to the community and not a threat.
"Since the first CSI I attended I have made vast improvements to my lifestyle. Firstly, it built my confidence to leave my home in my immediate community - this improved my isolation and 'cabin fever'. It also helped improve my social communication skills with Coastline staff and the community as well as providing me space to walk with company in my immediate area.
"I have managed to heal from using 2 crutches and a support boot to barely needing my aids for short distances. I now have the confidence to walk without aids within my community.
"Because of the Coastline presence, people living within the community who may have been described as being antisocial are now behaving in an acceptable way.
"What has been particularly helpful is the way Dan Price has worked with us. His way of taking things on face value and not listening to rumours has been a huge facet in combating any on-going issues in the area.
"If, for example, there is a concern with someone's garden, he would take a look/investigate and offer the people support instead of listening to hear-say. He would listen and explore ways to solve a problem instead of criminalising a person over something which could have a completely understandable reason behind it.
"We now have a "knock any time" agreement, where my trust and anxiety has healed so much, I don't need to know prior to a CSI; he knows he can just knock to see if I am around and would like to take part. Where as before, that kind of thing would have put me in a panicked state.
"It is amazing what a difference Coastline's presence, problem solving and empathy can do for an area. I highly recommend, even as someone who was severely anxious socially."