A BRADFORD housing provider has opened new hubs where residents can speak directly to staff on their doorstep.

Two of the planned five hubs from Shipley-based Incommunities have now opened - one in Bradford and the other in Huddersfield - and there are plans for more in Holme Wood, Bradford city centre and Keighley.

It means customers can access services face-to-face without having to travel to Shipley or make a home appointment. 

The first hubs have now opened at Cafe West in Allerton, and Northfield Hall in the Deighton area of Huddersfield.

There will be a dedicated member of staff on-site to assist customers at different drop-in services during the week, Incommunities said.

People can report repairs, chat with a neighbourhood housing officer, and access support to help manage their tenancy or money.

Barry Quinn, from Allerton, said: “It’s great that Incommunities have listened to us and put a base in the local community. When I wanted to speak to them before, I had to get two buses to their office in Shipley, so this is just what we needed.”

Lindsey Roche, head of neighbourhoods at Incommunities, added: “Customers told us that they wanted us to be more accessible to them locally within their communities where they could come and talk to us.

“We listened to their feedback and have so far opened two community hubs, with three more planned to open later this year in Keighley, Holme Wood and locations are being considered within Bradford city centre.

“Customers will be able to drop in without an appointment and speak to a neighbourhood housing officer, report repairs and access support to help manage their tenancy or money.”

Martin Lacey, Incommunities' neighbourhood manager for Allerton and the surrounding areas, explained why this location was chosen.

He said: “We have over 1,800 customers within two miles of Cafe West where the hub is located. By positioning a hub at this centre, we hope to provide greater access to our services for customers living in the Lower Grange, Thornton and Allerton areas, who may struggle to travel to our office based in Shipley to speak with a member of the team in person. 

“Cafe West is a fantastic facility and is very well used by the local community, we’re hoping to build on the partnership that we already have with key stakeholders at Cafe West who have been supporting local residents for many years.”

The Cafe West hub is open between 11am to 1pm on Mondays, 1pm to 3pm on Wednesdays, and 10am to noon on Friday.