54North Homes reaches 4,000 homes milestone

We’re celebrating having achieved the landmark of 4,000 homes – thanks to a £26.5m investment in new developments over the last 18 months.

54North Homes was formed in December 2022 through a merger between Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association and York Housing Association.

Our commitment to growing the number of new homes we own and manage has seen the housing stock increase by 25%, taking it from 3,200 at merger to more than 4,000.

Recent handovers of new properties took the tally to nearly 3,950 – and then flagship scheme Leonora House completed the milestone.

Leonora House, on Railway Street, Leeds, and which has 58 apartments for social rent, is due to be officially opened on Thursday 28 November.

Joanna Chambers, Director of Assets and Growth (pictured above at Leonora House), said of the ambitious development programme: “One of our key aims is provide as many good quality homes as we can.

“We’ve created a development strategy that enables us to play a significant part in addressing affordable housing supply issues across Yorkshire.

“We’re delighted to have reached this important milestone, which has been a challenging task against a background of rising inflation, supply chain difficulties and planning challenges.

“With tens of thousands of people across Yorkshire on social housing waiting lists, our push to deliver more affordable homes has never been more important.”

In total this year, 54North Homes will add nearly 160 new properties across Yorkshire to its expanding portfolio.

54North Homes also manages new affordable homes developed across the county by parent company Karbon Homes (a scheme in Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, is pictured below).

Many of the new properties built for the two housing associations are delivered with funding from Homes England.

Karbon Homes has a strategic partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency – which is providing £165m for 2,200 new affordable across the North East and Yorkshire by 2026.

Joanna said working in partnership is a key to success and added: “It’s been a combined effort of both development teams from 54North Homes and Karbon.

“We’re jointly working across the Yorkshire region, and it’s through the relationships we’ve built with the local authorities, developers and contractors that’s helped us capitalise on opportunities to build more affordable homes.

“Each new development we bring forward is designed to meet local needs and to be complimentary to the surrounding environment.

“We offer a range of property types and sizes and a mix of tenure options for customers – we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach because there’s different income brackets across the region.

“We’re delivering social rent for those on the lowest income brackets in greatest need, alongside Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy for people who can’t access a mortgage for the full value of a property, but who still have aspirations towards home ownership.”

It is not just about numbers – 54North Homes is focussed on building schemes residents can be proud of and in communities where people want to live.

Joanna said: “Leonora House is on the edge of Leeds city centre, so within 10 minutes, you’re at the bus station and there’s local schools, shops, green spaces and other amenities on the doorstep.

“And for the two and three-bedroom properties in this development, we’ve created a dedicated space for home working, where we’ve thought about what the customer needs to be able to live in this modern world that’s changed so much over recent times.

“We want people to be able to say ‘I’m proud to live here’ – that they feel invested in the community they live in and put down roots. Creating sustainable tenancies is our ultimate goal.”