Developing homes in partnership
Sovereign plays an active role in local and strategic partnerships. We are proud of our preferred partner status with local authorities in hotspot areas across the South and South West of England. We have teamed up with councils in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, and South Gloucestershire, and Knightstone, Somer, and Sarsen housing associations, to pool our resources in the West of England to tackle the urgent shortage of affordable homes.
Sovereign Development Consortium
The Sovereign Development Consortium was established in 2003, in response to Housing Corporation reforms to create fewer partners delivering more homes, while also improving on quality. Since then, the founding five landlords have grown the alliance into a driven partnership of 11, with nearly 41,000 homes under management across the South East and South West of England. The strengths and skills available from teaming up in this way means developers, councils and government departments have a one-stop shop of expertise to call on, no matter what size the project. Members can take advantage of the economies of scale that joint working between housing associations can achieve.
Sovereign is the lead partner of the Consortium. Members of the Consortium work together closely to drive best practice and manage costs. Our joint procurement initiatives have played a critical role in enabling us to identify best-value solutions. Collectively the competitive rates we negotiate through our core framework agreements for doors, windows, kitchens and grounds maintenance save us up to £1.5 million a year. Our shared efforts also help us to achieve economies of scale – for new homes, through value engineering and our use of standard house types; but also in addressing the needs of asset management and maintenance. Together, we can extend our influence in the marketplace and achieve far more than any member would individually.
Homes and Communities Agency
By engaging local authorities in a ‘single conversation’ on all aspects of housing and regeneration, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) aims to agree and secure delivery at a local level in support of the Government’s national housing objectives.
The HCA will invest £8.4bn in affordable housing from 2008-11. As an Investment Partner, we apply to the HCA to get funding for new affordable housing schemes.
Tenant Services Authority
The Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the new regulator for affordable housing, aims to raise the standard of services for tenants. The TSA regulates our performance as a housing association by examining our financial viability and the way we are governed and managed.
Developers and contractors
We work in partnership with many housing developers and contractors. We have formalised many of our professional relationships using frameworks, which help us to work together more productively. Our offsite work with developers can be especially beneficial. When we give developers the opportunity to consult on standard house types and contract development, we achieve better results.
Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership
The Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership aims to provide 500 affordable homes in villages of fewer than 3,000 residents. The partnership includes Cottsway, Soha and Oxford Citizens housing associations, along with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, and the district councils of Cherwell, West Oxon, South Oxon and Vale of White Horse.
HomesWest
We have teamed up with councils in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, and South Gloucestershire, and Knightstone, Somer, and Sarsen housing associations, to pool our resources in the West of England to tackle the urgent shortage of low-cost homes in the region.
