Housing Associations/Registered Social Landlords (RSLs)
Housing Associations or Registered Social Landlords are non-profit making organisations. They provide affordable housing to those who need it which can be from their own housing register or by nomination from the Council. They work in partnership with local Councils by putting forward proposals for identified development sites responding to a development brief drawn together by the Council which explains what type of housing is needed in a particular area. This can include housing for rent and housing for shared ownership|. The council will decide which project fulfils the housing need identified in the brief. The RSL will look at funding options to provide the housing either from their own fund arrangements or through funding from the Housing Corporation’s National Approved Housing Programme| (NAHP ). The NAHP must be supported by the Council’s strategic housing team and demonstrate that it meets the objectives of the Councils housing strategy and the Regional Housing Strategy |.
Housing Association’s develop a wide range of accommodation, with some specialising in supported housing for those with special housing requirements, whilst others concentrate on older persons accommodation or accommodation for family housing.
The Council has a number of RSL partners who have given their agreement to partnership working within the The Gateshead Housing Agreement The partners involved are:-
The purpose of the Housing Agreement is to promote partnership working to ensure joint contribution towards the aim of the Community Strategy (link to Community Strategy document): ‘ Local People realising their full potential, enjoying the best quality of life in a healthy, safe, prosperous and sustainable Gateshead’.
The Council wants to ensure that all key players in providing housing and related services work together to deliver Gateshead’s strategic housing objectives.