Through innovative new housing schemes and the regeneration of older properties in both urban and rural areas, the association has made a significant contribution to social housing and now owns over 4,400 properties which are managed from offices based in Stoke on Trent, Stafford and Shropshire. The Association also manages 6000 properties from Malvern to Manchester on behalf of Sanctuary, managed from offices in West Bromwich, Handsworth and Ashton-under-Lyne.
As well as providing an increasing variety of quality services to our own residents, the Association is also active within the wider community and is steadily expanding its range of regeneration activities.
The Association currently employs over 350 full and part time office and site based staff. We were awarded the Investors in People standard in 1998 and re-accredited in 2001 and 2004.
Housing Market Renewal
The Association is proud to be working with Housing market Renewal Pathfinder, RENEW North Staffordshire as lead Registered Social Landlord in the region’s Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder to deliver a range of interventions including:
- Property development, acquisition and refurbishment to increase the quality of existing housing stock and providing new build housing options available to local people.
- Delivering a £3.5m area refurbishment programme, improving the outside of properties as well as environmental measures such as bin installations in litter hotspots
- Acquiring new homes through Section 106 agreements with private builders to contribute to regeneration aims
- Developing a Home Options project team to provide housing choice and solutions to residents living in possible clearance areas
- Provision of three community centres with neighbourhood workers to bridge the gap between key regeneration agencies and local people who may be displaced by demolition
- Working in partnership with Community Base to deliver an innovative model that develops a neighbourhood delivery plan. This includes the use of a visual software product for residents to enable them to make decisions about what they would like to see in their neighbourhood and consider available options
- Provision of funding for a variety of community projects such as ‘glitter bins’ (colourful, vandal proof exterior bin) and mural design arts projects to bring local people together.
Major Projects
Beth Johnson is leading a multi-million pound project to demolish sub-standard homes in Cannock in South Staffordshire and replace them with modern properties that re-build a sense of community. A total of 128 new homes and a community centre are being constructed at a cost of almost £15 million.
As part of the scheme, residents have taken part in an extensive and innovative consultation process, allowing them to tell us what they want in terms of housing design including type of kitchen, bathroom and fittings, methods of construction and where possible, even plot location. The overall aim of this consultation was to empower the community as well as support residents to set up new businesses and providing community funds and an arts programme.