Housing Stock

Housing for rent: the Association manages 1,026 units in Gwynedd and 410 units in Ynys Môn. Our housing stock comprises of new-build estates and individual refurbished units located in towns and villages throughout both counties. Our largest site contains 80 units (housing for older people and supported housing) and the largest general needs housing estate contains 31 units.

The Association added 14 units to our stock in 2006/07 and work commenced on building a further 28 units. We are aiming to commence building another 20 new units in 2007/08. Three schemes in the 2006/08 SHG programme which are in rural villages - Garndolbenmaen, Dyffryn Ardudwy and Bodedern - are breaking new ground as “neutral tenure” schemes with a special allocations policy targeting local applicants who have lived or worked within the community council area for five years.

Supported housing: 13.5% of our housing for rent is supported housing. We are the Accredited Support Provider for eleven supported housing projects and are accountable for the Supporting People Revenue Grant received (£873k in 2007/08). The projects and client groups are as follows:

• Tenants support service (floating support). Client group: vulnerable tenants. Support provider: Cymdeithas Tai Eryri
• Anglesey domestic violence service (refuge and floating support). Client group: women suffering from domestic violence. Support provider: Cymdeithas Tai Eryri/Gorwel
• Llys Seion, Pwllheli (hostel and move-on). Client groups: young single homeless people, young people leaving care and vulnerable single parents. Support provider: Cymdeithas Tai Eryri/Gorwel
• South Gwynedd Women’s Aid (refuge and floating support). Client group: women suffering from domestic violence. Support provider: South Gwynedd Women’s Aid
• Di-gartref Ynys Môn (hostel, move-on and floating support). Client groups: young single homeless people and young people leaving care. Support provider: Di-gartref Ynys Môn.

There are a number of other projects within our housing stock where the management agent is the Accredited Support Provider rather the Association. These projects meet the needs of a range of different client groups including:

• People with learning disabilities
• Young single homeless people/young people leaving care
• People recovering from alcohol or drug dependency
• Vulnerable single parents
• People with mental health problems
• Ex-offenders

The Association’s involvement with these projects is limited to our responsibilities as landlord. Responsibility over some service areas is delegated to the management agent through a management agreement e.g. lettings, rent collection.

Housing for older people
12% of our housing stock is specialist accommodation for older people i.e. purpose-built flats and bungalows with a call system linked to a community alarm. This includes one traditional sheltered housing scheme at Penucheldre, Holyhead providing 35 flats, a Scheme Manager service and communal facilities. Proposals have been developed with the Isle of Anglesey County Council for remodelling this scheme as ”extra care” housing: a Social Housing Grant allocation of £2.375m has been awarded for this purpose in the 2009/10 programme.

The Association will shortly become corporate trustee for the Tai Elen Glyn almshouse charity which provides 10 flats for older people at the old rectory in the village of Llandwrog, near Caernarfon. The property will not be transferred to the Association but we will manage the charity and act in accordance with its charitable rules.

Low-Cost Home Ownership
The Association administers the DIY Homebuy scheme in Gwynedd and Anglesey. We currently hold an equity share in 363 Homebuy units (@ 31 March 2007). A total of 45 loans worth £2.1 million were completed in 2006/07. Turnover within the Homebuy portfolio generates receipts for our grant recycling fund (RCG) and provides us with an additional revenue stream (£366k in 2006/07).