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Article in September Edition of SFHA Housing Scotland MagazineIrvine Housing Association’s decision to join Riverside was a tough one to make, although, in the end, it was a clear choice between a future that offered opportunities and one of managing a reduction of services. It’s for this reason that our membership voted so overwhelmingly, by 311 to 23, in favour of the rule change required to make the partnership possible.
This massive majority represented a considerable turnaround in opinion from when we first announced that discussions were to take place. Two key factors won the argument, the strength of the business case and Riverside’s track record of delivery to its communities.
The business case was simple. Irvine Housing Association is viable as a stand alone organisation, we can achieve SHQS easily and our 30 year business plan shows that we can repay our debt within the term of our funding agreement. But for a long time the Association’s Board and staff felt that this wasn’t enough, and that pressures of changing customer needs and reduced funding meant standing still wasn’t an option. We wanted to be able to respond to the changing needs of our customers by ensuring appropriate support services were available and by investing more in the wider needs of our communities. We also wanted to continue to play a role in building new affordable housing.
Joining Riverside means that we will save over 25% on the costs of many back office functions, achieve procurement savings on major repairs and access an intra-Group funding agreement on favourable terms. All of this creates capacity for Irvine Housing Association that would not be there if we had stayed independent. With that capacity we will demolish unpopular flats in Kilwinning, replacing them with new homes, provide a range of other services that have been requested by our communities and maintain a development programme at grant rates in line with the Scottish Government’s expectations.
 Looking to the Future: A tenant from the Pennyburn Flats.Riverside’s commitment to empowering communities and tailoring its service to local needs also shone through during this process. Over 125 of our customers, and all our staff, visited Riverside in Liverpool and Carlisle and a number of Riverside tenants visited our communities. Their stories of what Riverside had achieved locally gave our tenants considerable confidence that decisions will continue to be made locally in response to local needs.
I am convinced that the path that Irvine Housing Association has taken is right for us, our tenants and our communities. It won’t necessarily be the one that other associations choose when thinking about their future. However, I don’t think the partnership or merger route should be discounted without careful consideration. In these challenging times independence can come at a price. In making decisions about their future, organisations should consider what value is gained from that price, who benefits and who loses out.
Paul Hillard
Chief Executive
Irvine Housing Association
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