Whitefriars Corporate Story

Whitefriars Housing exists to create places where people are proud to live and work.

Our not-for-profit housing association was born in 2000 as a result of a positive tenant vote which led to what was then the largest single housing stock transfer in the country.

More than 22,000 homes owned by Coventry City Council were passed on to us, making us the city’s largest social landlord.

We demolished more than 4,000 homes that were mostly vacant and beyond economical repair, and we have developed new homes across the city. As a result, we are now the proud owners and managers of more than 18,500 affordable homes.

From the start we have embraced innovation. We were one of the trailblazers of true partnership working and within three years we had fulfilled all of our transfer promises to tenants, and ten years later we have invested more than £340m on upgrading and improving our homes.

From the beginning we took the decision that we would take responsibility for creating neighbourhoods in which people would like to live and work. To that end since 2000 we have run our training and development agency, which continues to provide skills training and employment opportunities to residents and non-residents alike.

We take a proactive approach to anti-social behaviour, and have had significant success through ‘asb4’ our specialist in house team by bringing together in one place all of the skills and expertise needed to provide the full range of anti-social behaviour resolution services.

Our work with customers has led to us setting aside considerable funds for community groups and initiatives. We are pleased with the positive impact these projects have had on the communities involved.

We have also invested heavily in the Spirit Quarters area of north east Coventry. We hold the distinction of being the project leader of a 15 year partnership regeneration project. This is a long-term programme in which local residents have been heavily involved. There are no short-cuts to such wholescale rejuvenation and we are proud that, together with backing from the Homes and Communities Agency, building work has now started on site.

In 2009 Whitefriars joined Harden, Kemble and Nexus Housing Associations as a member of the West Mercia Housing Group, which is now known as WM Housing Group. We are part of a regional force of more than 24,000 homes which also enjoys the status of being a lead investment partner of the HCA and the lead member of the Spectrum Development Consortium development consortium.

Geographically WM Housing spans Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Coventry, Birmingham and the West Midlands. What links us is our agreed key values to provide excellent service, value people, act with integrity and deliver creative solutions.

Thanks to our changed status our resources and opportunities have grown, but our autonomy and local specialism remain.