Investing in homes
Our vision is to have a positive impact on people and communities by providing high-quality homes.
New developments
In 2019 we adopted a five-year Development Strategy with a goal to build a minimum of 1,000 affordable homes by March 2024.
These homes will be for affordable rent, shared ownership and independent living homes for older people. Our programme also includes specialist supported living accommodation, which is set to increase following the formation of RWP (Reside With Progress).
We are on course to not only meet our target, but exceed it. This year we invested £24.8 million into the development of new homes, with £4.4 million coming from government grants. We built 226 homes, including 122 for affordable rent, 69 for shared ownership and 35 supported living properties.
We also secured a number of sites which will see us build more homes, including an extra care scheme with 92 homes in Lancaster. In Weeton, we are set to create a mixed development of affordable homes for sale and rent as well as homes for outright sale, which will be delivered by our private housebuilding company, Concert Living.
A number of smaller sites are also going through the planning and acquisition process which will support our future supported living programme.
Working in partnership with Onward Homes, we secured Strategic Partnership Grant funding from Homes England to support the delivery of a minimum of 600 affordable homes by March 2026.
Looking ahead, our aim is to create larger, mixed-tenure developments, some through partnership arrangements with developers, but with an increased focus on a land-led strategy. We also plan to acquire affordable homes from other housebuilders that have been delivered through section 106 agreements.
My life in Progress - Meet Victoria
This year we invested £24.8 million into the development of new homes.
Bluebell Meadows, Fulwood
Bluebell Meadows, Fulwood - Kitchen
Bluebell Meadows, Fulwood - Garden
Concert Living
Since completing its first housing development in Preston last year, our property company, Concert Living, has widened its activity to other sites across Lancashire.
Work is almost complete at the Clitheroe and Wrea Green developments, with all of the properties now sold. The company also began the development of its first direct build scheme, which will see 30 new homes created in Inskip. Early reservations indicate that the development is set to be popular with house buyers.
Construction of the Church View development in Weeton began in March. As well as providing 27 affordable homes for the Group, there will be 17 homes for sale. Work is also set to begin at a new site near Lancaster.
The team at Concert Living continues to grow, with the appointment this year of a head of land, a quantity surveyor and site and sales employees.
Concert Living Pendleton Meadows, Clitheroe
Concert Living Pendleton Meadows, Clitheroe - Kitchen
Concert Living Pendleton Meadows, Clitheroe - Bathroom
Progress Living
We provide homes for hospital key workers at three hospital sites in Lincoln, Boston, and Grantham. This purpose-built accommodation offers a vital service to United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.
During the year, the team managed 5,685 new tenancies. Overall occupancy of our homes stood at 90.8%, which is an improvement on last year’s figure of 81.9%.
A team restructure took place this year, which included the appointment of a new operations manager. We also brought the Grantham housekeeping service back in-house to offer a better service to tenants.
We continue to work closely with the NHS Trust by ensuring their accommodation needs are met. The Trust launched a large-scale international recruitment drive for more nurses and consultants during the year.
With new recruits spending their first 12 weeks of training at Grantham and District Hospital, we worked with the Trust to provide short-term family and single-gender accommodation in Grantham.
"We managed 5,685 new tenancies during the year."
Lincoln County Hospital
Managing our properties
Our Asset Management Strategy provides a framework for the proactive management of our housing stock. Understanding our assets and their return is crucial to the Group's long-term maintenance and financial plans over the next 30 years.
As part of our strategy, each year, we calculate our homes' average net present value (NPV). From the last assessment carried out in 2021, we have seen values increase:
- For general needs housing, the average NPV increased to £25,880
- For independent living properties, the average NPV was £17,709
- For supported living properties, the average NPV reached £82,703
Stock condition inspections are carried out throughout the year using our in-house surveyors. This year we conducted stock condition visits to 96% of our properties. Data from these inspections directly feeds into our long-term financial plans and informs our planned maintenance programme, including the investment required to achieve net-zero carbon across our housing stock.
Investing in homes
This year we invested more than £30 million into the improvement and maintenance of tenants’ homes. More than £6.7 million was spent on fitting 220 kitchens, more than 400 bathrooms and more than 460 boilers.
A further £5.4 million was spent on gas safety and electrical tests, fire risk assessments, asbestos and water hygiene checks, as well as planned improvements and repairs, all aimed at keeping customers safe in their homes.
During the year we carried out 586 fire risk assessments, 7,448 gas checks, 1,302 electrical checks, 60 asbestos inspections and 36 water hygiene risk assessments.
Following a series of audits, we received substantial assurance for all areas of compliance.
Responsive repairs
We invested almost £11.5 million in our repairs service. Our in-house team and partner contractors carried out almost 50,000 repairs and completed work on more than 600 empty homes.
Carrying out repairs against the backdrop of Covid-19 has impacted customer satisfaction recently. However, this year all satisfaction measures were at 84% or above.
We increased the number of appointments we attended on time to 93.7% (up from 93.3% last year), with a further 94.3% of repairs completed within priority timescales (down from 94.9% last year). All of these figure are a great achievement.
"We also increased the number of appointments we attended on time to 93.7%."
Environment and Sustainability Strategy
Our core purpose is to provide good-quality, affordable homes to people in need and sustainability is directly linked to this purpose. By reducing carbon emissions in homes and our overall environmental impact, we can improve the long-term viability of our properties and the health and financial wellbeing of our tenants.
During the year, the board approved our new Environment and Sustainability Strategy. It includes a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, across all of our Group business activities, including existing homes, new homes, tenant engagement, fleet transport and offices.
"Our target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050."
We have an Environmental Working Party, which brings together representatives from across the Group to drive initiatives that will reduce our carbon footprint.
As active members of the DWF Retrofit Group, we have been looking at how registered providers and local authorities can work together to maximise value for money in retrofit projects. We are also looking to develop a shared national database of environmental retrofit materials.
Through our new contract management standard, we will work with contractors and suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of work carried out on our behalf.