York Housing Association (YHA) has joined Karbon Homes as an independent group member.
The new partnership, which was officially approved on Friday (1 December), has been supported by YHA’s residents and stakeholders.
YHA will retain its own brand and identity and will continue to deliver day-to-day housing and support services from its offices in York with its existing staff.
YHA, which owns and manages 943 homes across York, North Yorkshire and East Riding, will now benefit from a wider range of services and deliver an improved service to its residents. Karbon Homes will provide back-office support including development, finance, procurement, HR, IT and communications.
Karbon Homes was formed in April 2017 following the amalgamation of three organisations and is one of the largest housing associations in the North East. The group already owns and manages 24,000 homes across the region and with YHA joining the group, the combined organisation will be able to build more homes and have a greater impact across a wider geographical area.
Paul Fiddaman, Group Chief Executive of Karbon Homes, said: “I am pleased to welcome York Housing Association to the group, just eight months since we were formed. We believe this move is a very good strategic fit for the business and presents an exciting opportunity for our continued growth and expansion. Both organisations have a strong track record of achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and we share the same ethos and commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
“This is the start of what I believe will be a long and successful partnership with YHA. We are looking to invest in the Yorkshire and Humber area, enabling the development of new homes, which YHA will help to develop and manage.”
Julia Histon, Managing Director of York Housing Association, said: “At a time when housing associations and their residents are under increased pressure from welfare reforms and Government cuts, we believe being part of a larger organisation will deliver significant benefits to our residents while protecting the services we already deliver.
“Our new partnership with Karbon Homes creates a financially strong, more flexible, efficient and resilient organisation and enables both organisations to meet their respective strategic goals while delivering value for money services and enabling more investment in building new homes.”
YHA’s Board will retain its independence, reporting to the Parent Company while Board members will have the opportunity to influence decision making by joining various committees at Group level.