A HOUSING association has been celebrating its ten year anniversary.
Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) took over the housing stock from the old city council back in 2000.
To mark the milestone, the trust has held several events including the biannual Colleagues Conference, the annual Residents’ Review and Christmas lunch, and a celebration cake cutting at the offices in Centurion House, Northgate Street and Octavian House, off Sealand Road.
CDHT’s achievements include being the first housing association in the UK to have a Residents’ Board, which is making real efficiencies to the £12.6 million repairs and maintenance budget it controls.
The trust has also achieved 100% in the Decent Homes Standard earlier this year, well before the Department for Communities and Local Government’s end of year deadline.
John Denny, chief executive of CDHT, said: “Our organisation is on the brink of doing something quite special.
“We have a golden opportunity over the next five years. We have a great partner in Cheshire West & Chester Council (CWAC) whilst our proposed coming together with the Cosmopolitan Housing Group creates opportunities that in some ways will buck the trend by creating more housing and employment opportunities.
”I can’t overstate how much work went into the transfer 10 years ago. The first five years saw massive investment in homes.
“Then we hit a troubled patch but we worked our way out of it. I am so proud that the people who were here when we were in a mess got us out of it, achieving our two stars and excellent rating, building homes and placing the resident at the centre of everything we do.
“The last five years we have gone from strength to strength and the next five years will be amazing, we are financially robust and others want to join us.”
CWAC leader Mike Jones said:
“Congratulations to CDHT on its 10 year anniversary. CDHT has a tremendous track record as a major social housing provider in the borough, delivering large-scale, innovativeŠprojectsŠas well as demonstrating a strong commitment to improving and regenerating our neighbourhoods.”
Chester MP Stephen Mosley said: “I’d like to congratulate Chester & District Housing Trust on reaching this milestone and to thank them for all their good work over the past decade.”
Christine Russell, Chester MP from 1997-2010, added: “Over the past 10 years the hard-work put in by the trust has helped to transform local environments and deliver a better quality of life for everyone in the community.”
