RBH bids for Housing Corporation investment partner status

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) submitted a bid to the Housing Corporation today, which it hopes will lead to it accessing a Social Housing Grant. The grant will enable RBH to build new, social rented housing in the borough as part of the National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-2011.

As a housing arms length management organisation (ALMO) that has achieved a ‘Good’ inspection rating from the Audit Commission RBH is now able to bid to become a recognised investment partner with the Housing Corporation - like many housing associations.

RBH has been working with the Council for the last 12 months to develop its plans to build more homes for local people and has identified a number of potential sites across the borough. It is already working on a scheme to build 22 new bungalows at Croft Street in Wardle to replace the 10 recently demolished bungalows.

If the bid by RBH is successful it is hoped the organisation will be in a position to submit a number of detailed funding bids to the Housing Corporation later in the year. It is in the process of establishing a new charitable subsidiary company to act as the developer for new build schemes.

RBH’s Acting Managing Director, Gareth Swarbrick said: “This is a great opportunity for RBH to play a major role in building new modern affordable rented homes to meet the needs of local people. We have a very close working relationship with our colleagues in the Council’s Strategic Housing Service and have identified a number of potential development sites. Following our submission to the Housing Corporation today we will be focusing our efforts for developing detailed proposals for a number of sites so that we can put in full funding bids later this year”.

Date article online: 24/04/2008