Covid
Throughout the pandemic our priority has been, and remains, to keep our staff and residents safe. Steve has just written to all residents again to remind them of all the safety measures they should be taking. These include both those that the government has mandated and additional measures within Zebra accommodation. Please remember that these rules are all about protecting the Zebra community as a whole.
We have now reduced the scope of our maintenance service to dealing with emergencies only until we re-open after the New Year. We’ll review matters at that time. This is to protect both residents and staff. If our staff must go into flats, we will ensure that either the tenant is out or is in another room. And we have reminded residents that they can only contact us by telephone or email.
Christmas and New Year Opening
As usual we are closing for the Christmas holiday period from Friday 24 at 1.00 pm to 9.30 am on Tuesday 4 January 2022. Our emergency service will continue to operate over this period.
Board news
The Board met on 4 November for its final meeting of the year. It approved a revised budget (to the end of the financial year 31 March 2022) and updated governance documents. It next meets in early February 2022 to agree a new budget for the year and a number of major projects which we hope to carry out next year. We’ll detail those in the next Zebra News.
New Arrivals
All our accommodation is full although we still have one or two residents leaving us but their flats are being taken almost immediately by new arrivals.
Please welcome all our new neighbours and help them settle observing, of course, all the Covid protocols we’ve advised you of.
Staff and Zebra Office
Although we are now occasionally working in our office in Jerome House we do so only in accordance with government advice. And it is not our intention to re-open the office to the public. Our view and experience are that we can provide as a good a service without basing staff in an office and that all our residents are more than happy to contact us by email.
Wardens
Wardens (and in their absence deputy wardens) are there to help residents out of normal working hours – evenings, weekends, and holidays. Because we’ve had quite a churn of residents there’s been some changes, but you should all know who the warden and deputy warden is in your building. There are up to date details of who your warden and deputy wardens are, together with contact details located in the main hallway to your residence.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Wardens and Deputy Wardens for the work they have done in their residences over the last year, during which it has been a very challenging time.
They remain a vital part of our service to residents.
We are encouraging all residents to use our new web portal MyHome (https://myhome.zebrahousing.com/) to improve your communication with Zebra. MyHome allows you to report & track repairs, amend your contact details, submit student letters and check your rent account. You have already received information on how to use MyHome, but if you need further assistance please contact David Morrow (davidm@zebrahousing.com).
Reporting maintenance
Please remember the new email address for all maintenance is repairs@zebrahousing.com
Staff update
Liv McKenzie has just joined us to help out with lettings and general housing matters. You will come across her in the New Year in your dealings with us.
