Housing providers across the East Midlands collaborated in a unique advertising campaign to highlight affordable housing available in the area. For the very first time, housing associations joined forces to reinforce their message with a two-week television campaign.
The collaboration saw Derwent Living, East Midlands Housing (EMH), Eastern Shires, MHT, Bedfordshire Pilgrims and Riverside get together to promote affordable housing in the East Midlands.
At the campaign launch, there were representatives from each housing association. Chief executives spoke about the importance of affordable housing and the Government's announcement to provide three million more affordable homes by 2020.
John Martin, chief executive of Derwent Living, said:
"This is a unique initiative among likeminded housing providers in the East Midlands, who decided that it was crucial to get together to spread the message that part-buy, part-rent housing is essential for first time buyers.
"The aim is to highlight the sorts of properties that the seven associations have on offer in East Midlands."
Chan Kataria, Group Chief Executive of EMH, said:
"Newspaper headlines seem to be continually drawing attention to the problems faced by first-time buyers and those on low to moderate incomes as house prices continue to rise.
"Through this campaign, we as housing providers are working together to help promote affordable home ownership schemes to a wide audience."
EMH is the Government's Homebuy agent in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire with its EMHomeBuy initiative offering a one-stop shop for people looking to get their first step on the home ownership ladder. Eastern Shires is Homebuy agent for Lincolnshire and Rutland and Bedfordshire Pilgrims is Homebuy agent for Northamptonshire.
The TV advertising campaign ran on Central TV for two weeks, promoting part-buy, part-rent initiatives and encouraging the viewers to find out more.
There is a central website for people to logon to and find out what properties are available in their own areas: www.emhomebuy.org.uk
A social housing provider was shortlisted for a top finance award, just 18 months after being removed from Housing Corporation supervision.
Chester & District Housing Trust was in the running to win Public Sector Finance Team of the Year at the Accountancy Age Awards, having spectacularly turned its financial fortunes around through a massive saving of £1 million in 12 months.
In 2005, an inspection by the Housing Corporation concluded that the Trust's financial standing was weak and unsustainable - a major deciding factor in its damming rating as a 'zero star' housing association with 'uncertain prospects for improvement.'
The Trust began an intensive review of its business plan and priorities and, in January 2007, the Audit Commission rated the organisation as a 'two star excellent' housing provider - an accolade which places it amongst the top eight RSLs in the country.
The Trust is now recognised officially as offering a value for money service for its residents and has finally achieved that much needed financial viability through improvements in efficiency and procurement.
All this has taken place whilst actually improving the range of services available to customers, and increasing resident satisfaction rates from 81% to 87% in two years.
Peabody Trust signed a partnering agreement with Guinness Trust, that will allow it to bid for the 2008/11 Housing Corporation development programme.
The Trust fell from favour following a damning Audit Commission report in 2004, in which the claim was made that it would struggle to renovate its homes in time to meet the Government's 2010 decent homes deadline.
The report came at the same time that the Trust conceded its innovative Bedzed scheme in Sutton had run over budget by nearly £6 million.
The Trust received an amber light for viability from the Housing Corporation and was forced to make a number of redundancies in its development team to save money.
Chief Executive Steve Howlett said the Trust was now ready to take forward a new development strategy. Plans include development sites in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Westminster. Peabody hopes to bid for grant to invest in 626 homes at a total development cost of £150 million (including Housing Corporation grant).