Shropshire social housing group to merge
A housing group that owns much of the county's social housing has announced it is merging with one from a neighbouring county.
Shropshire Housing Group, which includes South Shropshire Housing Association and Meres and Mosses Housing Association, has announced that it has joined together with Herefordshire Housing to form a new, bigger social housing group called Connexus.
The two groups will share equal weight as partners and will have more than 600 people working across Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
Peter Brown, chief executive of Herefordshire Housing, will take on that role within Connexus, while Jake Berriman, chief executive of Shropshire Housing Group, becomes deputy chief executive.
They have assured tenants that on a day-to-day basis tenants should see little change, with the various groups under the Connexus umbrella keeping their existing names and identity.
The new group aims to manage the transition from two well known, high performing businesses to a new bigger, better, and more dynamic housing group with a clear sense of purpose focussed on people, places and partnerships.
Peter Brown said: "Connexus will bring together the resources, energy and ambition of two successful housing groups, while our frontline services will continue to be delivered by the organisations that our individual customers have come to know and trust.
"Connexus was chosen based on the group’s three core values – number one, supporting and connecting people, number two, creating homes and communities with a sense of belonging and three, forging partnerships with like-minded organisations who share the groups aims.
"The new organisation’s core responsibility will be managing the 10,000 homes, in addition, it offers care and support services through Independence Trust, repairs and maintenance through Total Response Ltd and development opportunities through Floreat Homes."
He said key ambitions for Connexus include increased provision of housing for sale and market rent alongside a programme of shared ownership and affordable rented accommodation.
The organisation will be the largest developer in the Marches with plans for some 1,458 homes up until 2023.
But both organisations see their core purpose to be more than “bricks and mortar providers”, he added, sharing an ambition to develop homes alongside care and support services, which provide enhanced opportunities and life skills for residents and help sustain communities.
