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ASRA Greater London Housing Association has appointed Asit Acharya as its Managing Director.

Reporting directly to the Group CEO of LHA-ASRA, his responsibilities will include strategic planning, directing core service delivery, and overseeing tenant and resident involvement.

Asit Acharya has worked in the social housing sector for 23 years. He began his career in local government as a housing adviser and progressed to the position of Assistant Director of Housing and Social Services in an inner London authority before moving to the housing association sector.

He has since been housing director for a number of housing associations and has worked as a consultant.  Since January 2004 he has been the Director of Supported Housing and Community Development with Stadium Housing Association.
 
Asit is a Board Member of a west London ALMO, and a past board member of ASRA.  His expertise includes housing management, neighbourhood renewal and housing policy. 

He studied law and housing policy at the London School of Economics and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Atul Patel, Group CEO of LHA-ASRA said: "I am delighted to confirm Asit’s appointment.  He is an experienced leader and manager and will not only drive ASRA’s progress towards outstanding service delivery, but play a significant role in the ongoing evolution of the group as a whole.”

Asit Acharya said: "ASRA is one of the best-known and most innovative housing providers in the country, and it is an honour to be taking the helm.”

ASRA was originally established to meet the needs of Asian elders, but increasingly provides a range of accommodation for people of all ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds.  Its developments and services cover 20 London boroughs and five local authorities in the south east.

The association is co-founder of the £540m LHA-ASRA housing group, launched in January 2006.  With offices in London, Nottingham, Northampton, and Leicester, LHA-ASRA manages 11,000 homes across an area extending from Nottinghamshire across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, to London and the Home Counties, and employs 350 staff.  
 
LHA-ASRA is an approved Investment Partner of the Housing Corporation, and has a joint capital programme worth over £100 million gross. 

The group works with 37 local authorities and 20 London boroughs, providing a mixture of general needs accommodation for all communities and stock with an Asian specialism. It also has a substantial portfolio of care and supported housing (managed by Group members ASRA, and LHA Support Services). It partners with an arms-length social enterprise group, TREES, which comprises four self-contained businesses with a joint turnover of £8.6m, employing over 140 people.

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Press release issued: May 30 2006