The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Charity boss aims to keep costs down and build housing
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New social housing could be built in Aberdeenshire, with Peterhead and Fraserburgh on the radar.
Langstane Housing Association (LHA) chief executive Helen Gauld has revealed there are “ambitions” to build again.
But she has warned it is all dependent on cost as the social landlord and charity continues to work on keeping “rents affordable” for tenants.
The housing association was founded in 1977 to provide homes and services for single people who had limited opportunities to secure affordable rented homes in the private sector.
It built its first properties in Aberdeen’s Crown Street and George Street in 1981.
Now it manages more than 2,879 properties throughout Aberdeen city, Aberdeenshire and Moray, providing affordable rented accommodation to single people, couples and
families. In 2023-24 LHA signed up 320 new households.
It has an average of 2,700 households on its waiting lists at any given time and received more than 22,000 calls last financial year.
For Helen, who joined LHA in 2015, one of the most important things is making sure rents stay affordable for tenants while continuing to meet their needs.
The former director of housing and property at Grampian Housing
Association said: “We have managed to keep our costs down but they are starting to climb again.
“We are looking at that every single year to be as efficient as we can possibly be and keep the rent levels affordable.
“During the pandemic we did not go with a zero per cent increase because we knew we would need to catch up in future years.
“It’s not easy for our tenants. We have a lot who are possibly in the lowest paid bracket and a number of tenants who come on and off universal credit and that’s not without its challenges.”
Tenants faced a 5% increase in the latest assessment of costs.
LHA currently has an office in Aberdeen’s King Street and an office in Elgin which serves Moray and North Aberdeenshire.
Since Covid, Helen has noticed a clear shift in the type of accommodation being sought after as more people choose to work from home. It’s something LHA, who has 77 employees, are looking at in a bid to meet the needs of tenants.
She said: “Now people are looking for houses. They want their garden space and room to work in their homes which was never a thing social housing would have provided in the past. What we are looking at is reconfiguring some of our homes to meet those needs moving forward.”
The last development built by LHA was The Caley Fisheries Building in Peterhead’s Harbour Street in July 2018.
“But discussions are under way about future builds in the north-east.”
Helen revealed Fraserburgh and Peterhead may be two of the areas they look to build.
She said: “Any new build programme would be funded using a mix of Housing Association Grant, private financing, and reserves.”