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Accessible housing specialist joins PlaceShapers
An accessible housing specialist has joined the PlaceShapers group of landlords.
Habinteg Housing Association, which provides adaptable and wheelchair-accessible housing, said it hopes to share good practice around inclusive design with the membership group.
PlaceShapers has more than 100 “place-based” member organisations, which are small and medium-sized housing associations that generally operate within a specific geographic area. It shares support between members and lobbies politicians on behalf of localised landlords and their residents.
Habinteg is headquartered in Drighlington, near Bradford, and owns 3,300 homes across England and Wales. The housing association was founded in 1970 to create integrated communities where disabled and non-disabled people can live together.
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Earlier this month, Habinteg’s Northern Irish subsidiary changed its name to Woven.
Membership of PlaceShapers is assessed by the group’s board of 10 chief executives and based on the housing association’s commitment to the places it operates in, focus on residents and work with local authorities to provide additional services.
The group said that Habinteg “champions inclusion” by providing and promoting accessible homes that welcome everyone, including disabled and older people.
One in three of Habinteg’s homes are designed specifically for wheelchair users and most of its homes are built to an accessible or adaptable standard.
The housing association also runs its own Centre for Accessible Environments, which provides consultancy, training and research on accessible design and management.
Nick Apetroaie, chief executive of Habinteg, said: “PlaceShapers has a great reputation for promoting change and good practice based on the community-led model of housing. The organisation offers Habinteg an opportunity to learn as well play an active part in developing ideas and approaches that make a real difference to local communities.”
He added: “We hope to be able to share some of our good practice around accessible housing and inclusive design in the built environment with the PlaceShapers community.”
Matthew Walker, chair of PlaceShapers and chief executive of Leeds Federated Housing, said PlaceShapers members are “ambitious for their communities, committed to long-term solutions, united in our purpose, and firmly in it for the long term.
“Habinteg shares this ethos; Habinteg’s commitment to creating accessible homes in an inclusive setting that can transform the lives of disabled people and those around them adds to the diversity of PlaceShapers.”
