Our interim judgement had been G2 after we merged in December 2022. The new rating shows the significant progress that’s been made over the last 20 months.
We’ve retained our V2 (financial viability) rating which is in line with other large housing associations.
We’re also the first large housing association to get a C rating. We’ve been awarded a C2 (consumer) grade which reflects the good progress being made in many areas.
Paul Hackett, Chief Executive of Southern Housing, said: “Our new board and Executive Team were determined to secure G1 at our first regulatory inspection. We’re therefore delighted the Regulator has recognised the hard work of everyone connected to Southern Housing in awarding this rating.
This is just the beginning of our journey and we’re resolute in pushing forward with delivering the services our residents tell us they want. We’ve not shied away from taking decisive action in our drive to achieve our ambitious plans, including replacing under-performing contractors.
We’re unique amongst large landlords in having four resident places on our strategic board. Strong resident representation on the board along with regional panels, a resident strategy group, resident scrutiny and cocreation will ensure our residents’ priorities remain at the heart of our decision making.
We established Southern Housing with the aim of creating a more resilient organisation and that is clearly happening. We’re on track to be fully integrated by Summer 2025. This will enable us to realise the full benefits of the merger and I’m confident we’ll deliver services to a consistently higher standard.”
We’ve already making progress in our aim to build upon our C2 (consumer) rating. This includes expanding and centralising our Complaints Team, as well as bringing repair calls in-house in London and re-procuring two repairs contracts. Around 10,500 homes in Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire will benefit from repairs being brought in-house later this year.
We’ve prioritised investment in existing homes and services and will continue to co-create service improvements with its residents. Over the next 30 years, we’ve committed to spending a total of £9.2 billion on repairs and maintenance.
Resident safety remains high on the agenda too. We’ve introducing an accelerated fire risk assessment programme, carrying out five years of surveys over two years.
We’ve also worked closely with our Resident Scrutiny Panel to make specific improvements in priority areas. Most recently the panel made a series of recommendations for the organisation to successfully tackle issues with damp and mould. This has included establishing a damp and mould team with dedicated specialists who manage each case from start to finish.
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