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Two landlords in merger talks to form 32,000-home landlord
Two landlords based in the West Midlands are in merger talks, which if agreed will result in a new 32,000-home housing association.
Wrekin Housing Group has been in discussion with Housing Plus Group over the past few months on the move, which they said will “allow us to balance keeping costs down”, while “investing more in the services we deliver, doing more to make homes energy-efficient and having a positive impact on the local economy”.
Wrekin owns 13,000 homes across Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire and Staffordshire, while Housing Plus owns 19,000 homes across Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Wrekin confirmed that there would be “no changes to existing tenancy of lease agreements” and said that “in the longer-term, though, both housing associations believe that coming together will let us do more for all our customers”.
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Wayne Gethings, group chief executive at the Wrekin, said both organisations are “proposing to come together as one organisation”.
He said: “During the past few months, we have been looking at how we might bring our two organisations closer together to create a stronger presence that will benefit our customers, employees and communities.
“At Wrekin, we want to make a difference to people’s lives. This proposal won’t change that. The proposed change will not affect our customers’ right to live in their home.
“There will be no changes to existing tenancy or lease agreements. Customers will continue to access the services they need by contacting their landlord the same way and dealing with the same teams they do now.
“In the longer-term, though, both housing associations believe that coming together will let us do more for all our customers.”
He said the move will “allow us to balance keeping costs down”, while “investing more in the services we deliver, doing more to make homes energy-efficient and having a positive impact on the local economy”.
“We would also have a stronger and more influential voice in the region.
“In the coming weeks, all of our customers and employees will have the opportunity to share their views on the proposed merger,” Mr Gethings added.
Sarah Boden, chief executive of Housing Plus, said: “This merger will ensure that we can do more for our customers, making a positive difference to the homes, lives and communities we proudly serve, especially in this challenging financial climate.”
She added: “Our two organisations cover the same geographical areas, allowing us to remain locally focused and well connected to our communities.
“The new group will be one of the largest housing associations in the West Midlands. It will have over 34,000 homes, 1,800 employees, £250m of turnover each year and £1.9bn of assets.”
Both Wrekin and Housing Plus have G1 and V2 grades from the Regulator of Social Housing.
This appears to be the latest tie-up announcement since housing associations Bromford and Flagship revealed plans to merge last month.
