Your Housing Group (YHG), was downgraded from ‘G1’ to ‘G2’ after the regulator found that “there is evidence to indicate some underinvestment in YHG’s existing homes in recent years”. The association meets the regulator’s governance requirements but needs to improve some aspects of its governance arrangements to support continued compliance.
YHG did not met the regulator’s transparency requirements as it was not clear whether the landlord’s regulatory returns fully reflected its growth plans and stock investment requirements.
YHG also needed to improve its approach to value for money, as the board “has not demonstrated that it has ensured effective use of resources in line with its objectives and charitable status”.
Progress Housing Group, which owns more than 9,000 homes in the North West, was also moved down from G1 to G2. Progress had self-reported a number of issues concerning health and safety and that the association is working to rectify failings. An independent review found that Progress has not had adequate assurance on health and safety compliance because of data issues.
In addition to the two governance downgrades, Broadacres, Bournville Village Trust, Howard Cottage and Origin were all given governance upgrades.
Broadacres, was deemed non-compliant in 2017 for failing to manage “foreseeable risks” within a building company it owned.
Following an upgrade to G2 from G3 in 2018, the landlord has now had its rating upgrade to G1 after it “demonstrated that the board has effective oversight of the risks associated with the delivery of its strategy”.
Origin Housing, whad its governance rating upgraded from G2 to G1 following work undertaken to improve the quality of its data and systems. Orgin maintained its ‘V2’ rating for financial viability because of its reliance on sales receipts and additional costs relating to fire safety work.
Bournville Village Trust (BVT), which owns around 4,000 properties in Birmingham and Telford, was handed a governance upgrade from G2 to G1 after establishing audit and risk and finance committees within its governance structure.
Previously BVT “needed to improve some aspects of its governance arrangements, in particular its approach to risk management, to support continued compliance”.
Howard Cottage, , was upgraded to G1 from G2 following a restructuring of governance and leadership arrangements.
In 2018, the regulator identified that the landlord “needed to strengthen aspects of its risk management arrangements and stress-testing to support effective board oversight of its key risks”.
Croydon Churches Housing Association and Warrington Housing Association both had their G1 and V1 ratings confirmed.
Housing Plus Group also had its G1 and V1 ratings confirmed following its merger with Stafford and Rural Homes.