Glasgow social landlord changes names and pledges to build more than 2,000 homes

Scotland’s largest registered social landlord has outlined plans to build more than 2,000 affordable homes as it undergoes a rebrand.

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) is set to be renamed Wheatley Homes Glasgow in April.

The change, which has been supported by tenants in an independent consultation, follows GHA and Cube Housing Association, both part of Wheatley Group, joining forces last year.

Wheatley Homes Glasgow will take forward one of the country’s most ambitious investment and new-build programmes, leading to an additional 600 new affordable homes on top of the 1,500 already promised by GHA and Cube.

GHA tenant chair Bernadette Hewitt promised the new organisation would continue to keep rents affordable and give tenants an even louder voice in policy and decision making. Picture: Jeff Holmes

A minimum investment of £250 million in existing homes across Glasgow over the next five years has also been pledged.

The growth plans are also expected to lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for tenants and their families.

Wheatley Group chief executive Martin Armstrong said: “GHA should be rightly proud of what it has achieved for tenants and communities across Glasgow since it was formed in 2003.

“Its legacy will live on in homes and communities in which over £1.75 billion has been invested to make them warmer, safer, drier and more fuel efficient, as well as all of the fantastic new houses and flats we’ve built across the city.”

Armstrong, who was GHA’s chief executive from 2009 to 2012 before overseeing the launch of Wheatley Group in 2011, added: “I have absolutely no doubt Wheatley Homes Glasgow will create its own proud heritage in the years ahead as an outstanding force for good.”

Wheatley Homes Glasgow will also introduce new online engagement panels covering the four areas of the city, which will see 1,000 tenants recruited to take part.

Tenant inspection panels will review performance on repairs and other services and online ballots will allow customers to decide how and where a new £5 million community fund should be invested.

GHA tenant chair Bernadette Hewitt said: “This is a bright new dawn for housing and tenants in Glasgow. Wheatley Homes Glasgow will be able to do so much more for our communities and the wider city.

“This is nothing short of a revolution in how we provide services. It is a hugely exciting time in the development of our award-winning services.

“The pandemic has led us to accelerate many aspects of our new five-year strategy and that includes using technology to provide customers with even more personalised, co-created services.”

The changes and innovations include specialist support and 24/7 cover from a new “customer first centre”.

There are also plans to convert traditional offices into community-based “centres of excellence” and “touchdown hubs” where staff and tenants can meet, learn, collaborate and engage.

Wheatley is one of Scotland’s largest housing, care and property-management groups and was the UK’s biggest developer of social rented homes for four years.

The group provides homes and services to a quarter of a million people in 19 local authority areas across Scotland and comprises several operations, including Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership and West Lothian Housing Partnership.

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