300 social homes transferred in Gloucestershire

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities

Social landlord Orbit Heart of England has transferred nearly 300 of its Gloucestershire homes to Sovereign Housing Association.

The 287 properties consist of houses and flats for social rent and shared ownership, and have been transferred to offer a more local and responsive service to tenants.

"We are a well-established landlord in the West Country, and are looking to increase our presence here, with a view to achieving a quicker and more cost-efficient service to our residents," said Heather Bowman, Sovereign’s director of housing and communities.

The two providers worked closely to make sure the transition went as smoothly as possible for the residents in Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tetbury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Moreton-in-Marsh.

"Because we already have a concentration of homes in Gloucestershire, our new residents can feel part of a larger community and have the opportunity to get involved and influence the services they receive," continued Ms Bowman.

"Our experience is that stock transfers such as this result in efficiencies for both parties which can then be reinvested in more affordable homes and services."

The transfer followed a formal six-week consultation phase, during which residents were informed about the changes and given the chance to give their feedback.

Elaine Johnston, Orbit's director of operations, added: "We took the decision to transfer some of our more dispersed properties to a locally based provider of services following consultation with our customers. We decided to transfer these properties to Sovereign, who we have worked with on similar projects previously, as we feel confident they will best meet the needs of our customers in these areas.

"This will allow us to concentrate our investment in our core operating areas improving services to our customers who live there."