Covid
Obviously, it hasn’t gone away, and we all need to remain very cautious.
The safety of our residents and staff remains our priority. We will continue to let you know how the changing rules affect international students. So please follow our guidance and advice and this will include both what the government has mandated and additional measures within Zebra accommodation. Please remember that these rules are all about protecting the Zebra international student community as a whole.
Decarbonisation
This year we are starting the largest and most ambitious programme of work we have ever undertaken. This is the decarbonisation of Zebra’s student housing. This is a thirty-year programme to all our student housing to reduce carbon usage to zero by 2050.
The first ten years of the programme will focus on improving the fabric of our student housing primarily by looking at insulation and windows. If we can keep the warmth in, we should be able to use less heating and less carbon. This should also help in terms of reducing expenditure on very expensive fossil fuels. However, this is very challenging. Zebra’s international student housing stock, in common with much of the British housing stock, is old, poorly insulated and leaks heat everywhere. And because of where Zebra’s student housing is located – in beautiful old buildings in lovely locations there are restrictions on what we are able to do; particularly in relation to altering what our buildings look like.
We will start by looking at our student housing which performs most poorly in terms of energy performance and over a period will develop techniques and approaches. We’ll let our international student residents know how they are affected as we refine our programmes.
And if any of our student residents have any thoughts or comments, we’d be pleased to hear from you.
Board news
The Board met on 3 February for its first meeting of the year. It approved the annual budget, the annual rent increase and work plan. It also approved the programme of major works including the decarbonisation scheme to our international student housing.
Staff and Zebra Office
We are now working more regularly in our office in Jerome House, but we will not be re-opening 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 student residents are more than happy to contact us by email.
Wardens
This is just to remind residents that our wardens (and in their absence deputy wardens) are there to help you out of normal working hours – evenings, weekends, and holidays. 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.
Our Wardens and Deputy Wardens are a vital local element in our service to our international student residents and we are massively grateful to them for their work. And they really understand the issues that face residents because they are also international students themselves.
Please use our 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
And please remember to report all maintenance and repairs to repairs@zebrahousing.com
