GOOD NIGHT FOR CCHA… GREAT NIGHT FOR CCHA BOARD MEMBER

A night of success for CCHA and its Board at the CIH Cymru Awards Ceremony held just before Christmas in Cardiff.

CCHA won the Developing Communities and Regeneration Award in recognition of a decade of community-based regeneration work mainly in the Adamsdown and Splott areas

CCHA’s parent associations (Moors and Adamsdown) were founded by local communities and shared a common history and purpose dating back to the 1970s i.e. to rehabilitate properties, which were vacant and/or in poor condition, to regenerate the communities - a course they followed for 20 years. CCHA, a new organisation in 1996, but with a strong sense of its own history decided to carry on this work – empty homes in poor condition were still a problem in the area.

Over the years we have taken on a host of complex schemes ranging from demolishing and rebuilding single houses sandwiched between two others not owned by CCHA, to the demolition and rebuilding of entire terraces (working around the owner-occupiers).

This project has produced many notable outcomes, not least the rebuilding of 49 homes and the redevelopment of 149 properties. The properties are an enduring legacy to the work of CCHA and its housing association forefathers.

CIH CYMRU HONOURS CCHA BOARD MEMBER

CCHA’s big night didn’t stop there as Dr Robert Smith, a member of CCHA’s Board was awarded the evening’s big prize: the Outstanding Contribution to Housing in Wales Award. Bob is Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University’s Regeneration Institute and a prominent figure on the Welsh housing scene.

For over twenty years he has worked on an extensive range of housing research projects, most recently, the high profile Essex Review. His commitment to housing and CCHA is renowned and we’re proud to have had him as a member of our Board for many years.

We’re delighted for Bob – the award is well deserved. We just wish that after living in Wales for so many years he’d stop supporting his home-town club, Birmingham City!

The awards were presented by Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing.

FROM SMALL THINGS, BIG THINGS COME ONE DAY

The photos may not be that inspiring at the moment – foundation works on a rather muddy building site, but CCHA’s first scheme of 2009 is already underway! Shortly before Christmas we finalised the details of our new development on Colchester Avenue, Cardiff – part of the Taylor Wimpey Equinox development and started work in early January.

By the summer these small beginnings that we have pictured will start to deliver the first of what will be an exciting new £3.3m development of mainly family homes for affordable rent and low-cost sale. Located near to schools and shops (Sainsbury’s is just round the corner), bus routes and all local amenities these properties are going to be in a highly sought after location.

In total we’ll be building 29 superb new homes:

• 19 homes for rent a mix of family homes and flats
• 10 homes for low-cost sale, which consist of: 3 x 2 bedroom houses, 3 x 3 bedroom houses and 2 x 1 bedroom apartments

All the properties will be built to high modern standards with fitted kitchens, full central heating and modern bathrooms. Keep an eye on our news page about progress at Colchester Avenue – there’s more to come we hope. If you are interested apply now! Check out the details at www.homeswithinreach.co.uk.

Credit-Crunch-Busting Low-Cost Home Ownership

We’re expecting all the properties to go quickly including the low cost home ownership ones. With our credit-crunch-busting low-cost home ownership scheme purchasers will only have to find 70% of the purchase price.

Full details will follow on this site and, later in the year, at www.myplaceinthebay.co.uk, which already explains in detail how LCHO schemes work.

For an informal chat about these properties please contact:

Andrea Hibbert
Tel: 029 2046 8473
Email: Andrea.Hibbert@ccha.org.uk

NEXT UPDATE: MARCH 2009