What is a housing association?
About The Sovereign Housing Group
About Kingfisher HVHS Housing Association
About Sovereign South+West
About Sovereign Twynham
About Sovereign Vale
What housing do we offer?
- These are voluntary and not-for-profit organisations that provide social housing to those who cannot afford other forms of accommodation. There are nearly 2000 housing associations in England, owning or managing about 1.5 million homes.
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- On 1 April 2005, Sovereign Housing Association Ltd (now known as Sovereign South+West) and Twynham Housing Association Ltd (now known as Sovereign Twynham), formed a more flexible group structure with The Sovereign Housing Group becoming the 'parent'. The Vale Housing Association Ltd (now known as Sovereign Vale) then joined the Group in April 2007 and Kingfisher HVHS joined in July 2009.
- Sovereign Housing Group became charitable in April 2008.
- As of October 2009, the Group employed 276 staff directly, with a further 750 staff working for the subsidiaries.
- In total the Group owns and/or manages over 30,000 homes through its subsidiaries.
- Over the last financial year, the Group and its subsidiaries have provided over £114,000 in community funding.
- The Sovereign Housing Group set up the Sovereign Development Consortium in 2005 and which leads a group of 12 housing associations, working together in partnership to build affordable homes.
- The Consortium has a development programme to build 1000 new affordable homes each year.
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Kingfisher HVHS Housing Association is based in Basingstoke, Hampshire and owns and manages over 7,000 homes in Hampshire.
- As of October 2009, Kingfisher HVHS employed 173 staff and had an annual turnover of £44m.
- Kingfisher HVHS completed its 1000th new home in October 2007 and is on target to complete its 2000th new home later this year.
- Kingfisher HVHS joined the The Sovereign Housing Group on 1 July 2009 and is a member of the Sovereign Development Consortium.
- Kingfisher HVHS has assets of over £346m.
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Sovereign South+West was set up in 1989. It began as West Berkshire Housing Association, taking the transfer of 7,109 homes from the Newbury District Council.
- It now owns and/or manages almost 14,000 rented, new build homebuy and rent to homebuy properties in the south and south west of England.
- Sovereign South+West has completed 378 completed developments in the last year.
- Sovereign South+West manages 25 sheltered housing schemes for older people, offering about 900 homes.
- Sovereign South+West runs a care centre which provides emergency Careline services to those who are vulnerable or at risk in the community. It also provides services to other housing associations and has about 10,000 customers.
- As of October 2008, Sovereign South+West employed 345 staff and had an annual turnover of over £56m.
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Sovereign Twynham is based in Christchurch, and owns and/or manages over 3,600 properties across Dorset and Hampshire.
- As at October 2009, Sovereign Twynham employed 59 staff and had an annual turnover of £11m.
- In April 2007, Sovereign South+West transferred 1,039 homes in Dorset and south Hampshire to Sovereign Twynham. This means that residents will benefit from more locally focussed and improved services.
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Sovereign Vale is based in Abingdon and owns and/or manage almost 6,500 homes in Oxfordshire and south Northamptonshire.
- As at October 2009, Sovereign Vale employed 173 staff and had an annual turnover of over £23m.
- Sovereign Vale has achieved 112 completed developments in the last year.
- Sovereign Vale took the transfer of 154 homes in Oxfordshire from L&Q Beacon Homes in April 2007. In April 2008, Sovereign Housing Association transferred 840 homes after full consultation with residents.
- Sovereign Vale has assets of over £225m.
Sovereign South+West, Sovereign Twynham and Sovereign Vale are charitable industrial and provident societies under the 1971 housing act and are registered with the Housing Corporation.
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We provide two types of affordable housing – rented and affordable home ownership (known as HomeBuy).
We work very closely with a large number of local councils and specialist organisations. They refer future residents to us. If you need a home it is best to register with the ‘housing department’ in your local council as early as possible.
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HomeBuy is a government-funded programme of affordable home ownership, designed to help people who wish to buy a home but cannot afford to buy on the open market. As seasoned HomeBuy experts, we can offer three simple routes to home ownership:
New Build HomeBuy
Buy an initial share in a home, usually between 40% and 75%, and pay a discounted rent on the rest. The initial share bought is based on the maximum amount that can be comfortably afforded. As finances allow, further shares can be bought until the property is owned outright.
HomeBuy Resales
An initial share is purchased of a previously owned HomeBuy property and a discounted rent is paid on the rest. The share that can be bought depends on the portion purchased by the previous owner.
Rent to HomeBuy
A discounted rent is paid on a property, with the option to buy a share at a later stage. It gives our residents time to save for a deposit or arrange their finances so they can secure a mortgage. It is then possible to purchase further shares in the property until it is owned outright.
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