Osprey Housing freezes rent prices after restructure
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OSPREY Housing is freezing rents for tenants across the north-east until next year after a restructure.
The company is then planning to cap rent for at least another two years.
The freeze came as Osprey Housing and Osprey Housing Moray became a single entity on April 1, in a move poised to deliver a range of streamlined benefits for tenants and their families.
Osprey Housing Group CEO Glenn Adcook said: "This is a major milestone for Osprey and marks the start of an important new chapter for us as a leading and innovative provider of quality social housing in the north-east.
"It is important to underline that Osprey tenants have been involved in this concept since its inception.
"Being able to put in place a rent freeze underlines our commitment to affordability and putting tenants at the heart of everything we do, while also benefitting our staff and the wider communities we serve."
Osprey Moray tenants were given the opportunity to vote in an independently-conducted ballot on joining parent body Osprey Housing to become one single entity landlord.
Tenants supported the transfer of engagements and will now see their rents frozen until March 31, 2022, with increases restricted to the Consumer Price Index level of inflation for the financial years 2022-2023 and 2023-24.
Mr Adcook added: "Creating a single entity puts us on a stronger financial footing and will allow us to release additional funds to build more homes across the region and accelerate our improvements programme for existing homes.
"We have increased financial capacity to commit to upgrading our existing homes, as well as building new homes and taking further measures to enhance energy efficiency.
"All of Osprey’s Moray staff are transferring to the new single entity Osprey Housing and the move creates a platform to introduce more efficient ways of working and providing tenant services.
"We are exploring how we can best use emerging digital platforms to deliver our frontline services more efficiently, while at the same time bringing fresh focus to supporting tenants beyond traditional housing issues.
"This will incorporate, for example, specialist support on tenancy sustainment including new approaches to helping our tenants continue to live independently as they grow older."
The chairman of the newly-consolidated Osprey Housing remains Mike Scott, former Director of Housing with Aberdeen City Council, who has more than 25 years experience in a range of senior local authority roles.
Mr Scott said: "This transfer of engagements to create a single landlord entity is of enormous benefit to the organisation and our staff as well as all our tenants.
"Maintaining affordable rents in uncertain times is a top priority and this move ensures that we can do that for the foreseeable future."
Osprey Housing owns and manages more than 1800 properties in the north-east of Scotland and is a registered social landlord with charitable status.
Osprey provides a range of homes including general needs, specialist supported accommodation, and mid-market tenures.
Tenants include single people, families, homeless applicants, those moving for employment, those with specialist needs, and older people.
