Great Reasons to do business in the North East: Housing
Date published:
March’s great reason to do business in the North East is our fabulous quality of life. Chris Smith, Executive Director of Business Growth at Thirteen Housing Group explains what’s brilliant about living here, and how Thirteen Housing Group are contributing to it.
Those of us born and bred in the North East – and those who have made their way here ‘temporarily’ to study or for a job, (and then never go back), know it’s a great place to live and offers a brilliant quality of life. We really have got some amazing assets in the North East, fabulous coastlines, accessible countryside, lovely towns and cities and then there’s the people! Of course, a fundamentally important issue is having somewhere to call home where you can be safe, thrive and give yourself and your family the best life possible. This has become ever more important over the last year when our homes have become our sanctuaries because of covid, and this has thrown into stark relief the fact that many people do not enjoy the same quality of accommodation as many of us take for granted.
As one of the largest social landlords in the North East, Thirteen Housing Group’s main purpose is to provide a range of affordable homes for rent and sale for people at any stage in their life. We’re passionate about building modern, spacious homes and have a large development programme delivering up to 600 new homes a year to add to our existing portfolio of over 34,000 homes. That might be a family home for rent, an apartment for people starting out in life, or more specialist accommodation for people who need more support to live independently. We also recognise that some people want to own their own home but can’t yet afford to, so we provide a shared ownership option, allowing customers to buy a part share of the property and rent the rest, buying more shares when they can until they reach full ownership if they want to. What matters is that we meet people’s individual requirements and provide the management and after care to ensure we provide a great experience to all of our customers.
But it’s not just about providing bricks and mortar, it’s also about supporting people at key stages, whether that’s to help them navigate the often-confusing benefits system, manage money, help them get a job or work to improve neighbourhoods and the community. These things make the difference to people’s wellbeing and help towards creating that quality of life we all strive for.
Unfortunately, there are areas in our region that there were once thriving communities, often linked to the old heavy industries around coal mining, steel production or ship building, but have declined over the years as the employment market and aspirations around housing have shifted. Some of these areas often display poorer housing standards, more transient populations and higher levels of deprivation. Funding to tackle issues like this on a large scale has all but dried up, but we can’t just abandon these places, especially when we have a stake in the area.
We like a challenge at Thirteen and regeneration has always remained on our agenda, so we have been actively working with communities and local councils in the region to help improve these older housing areas where we can.
One example of a successful project has seen us working in partnership with Middlesbrough Council in North Ormesby to deliver a range of interventions that might seem small scale but can make all the difference for people living in the community. And we think it’s vital to work with the local community, building on the positives that are already there rather than focussing on the negatives.
We’re three years into the project which has involved buying and improving empty homes to let at affordable rents, creating much needed green spaces, supporting local groups to grow, and helping people into employment and training.
We’re working on similar projects in Redcar and Sunderland, but our next big project is again in Middlesbrough in the heart of the town centre. Gresham has had its issues over the years and was once described as one of the most deprived areas in the country. Major plans to improve it collapsed mid-way through when the funding programme disappeared overnight and plans to regenerate the area stopped. That was 10 years ago, and Middlesbrough Council has tried to manage the area as best it can with little available funding.
Thirteen was approached to help out and asked to take a chance and develop 145 new homes in a large derelict area in the middle of Gresham. It was a big ask, but by working with the council to set out what else would be needed and to bring much needed resource into the mix, we have developed a bold plan for its regeneration. The council is actively doing its bit – basing front line services in the area to improve the environment, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting the community to be resilient.
We’re optimistic about the future of Gresham now. While respecting its past we’re creating a whole new community in the heart of the town centre that will provide well designed, affordable homes for a diverse range of residents. It won’t exist in a bubble though, it will be part of Gresham’s history but in a new, improved and confident place that people are proud to call home. Alongside our other regeneration projects such as North Ormesby, Gresham is a demonstration of how regeneration projects are not just about bricks and mortar; they’re about making tangible improvements and helping to create a better life for people in communities for years to come and contributing to making the North East a great place to live, wherever your home is.
Chris Smith
Executive Director of Business Growth
Thirteen Housing Group