Anglia Housing Group based near Norwich and Circle 33 Housing in London were getting ready for a merger, which will see Circle Anglia come into being on 1st July. The new merged group will have nearly 33,500 properties, 1200 staff, and an annual turnover of more than £120 million. Its development programme plans for around 2,000 new homes a year.
Anglia Housing Group manages more than 11,500 homes. Its six partner housing associations include Wherry HA, which owns or manages around 5,000 properties in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. Wherry, which was created through a housing stock transfer from Broadland Council 15 years ago, will remain as a distinct entity in the new group. Circle 33 Housing Group manages more than 20,000 homes in London, the South-east, and East Anglia.
Genesis HG set up a charitable trust to support a number of community and social regeneration projects in London and the South-east. The trusts will be able to attract new funding and obtain tax relief on grant money.
Mendip Housing announced that it was to become a member of the Aster Group. The Association has been under supervision since February 2004, and its most recent Housing Corporation assessment resulted in red lights for governance and management.
Refugee HA launched the first comprehensive research project undertaken to identify the positive contribution refugees make to the UK, as part of its Refugee Week initiatives.
The study is unique because it focuses on local, individual, and personal experiences of refugees and asylum seekers. It is thought to be the first time that a study asks asylum seekers and refugees to define what they consider their contribution to be and evaluate how it is limited (by racism, social exclusion, poverty, etc).
Recycled Capital Grant Funds and Disposal Proceeds Funds Review
The Recycled Capital Grant Funds and the Disposal Proceeds Funds were introduced by the Housing Act 1996. They allow housing associations to retain and reinvest the resources that are released when they sell a grant funded property. This consultation paper is part of the first formal review of the Funds.
Housing for Vulnerable People Strategy Statement
This strategy statement sets out how the Housing Corporation will engage with housing associations and support them in responding to the needs of vulnerable people, working with local and health authorities, the Department of Health, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and others.