Welcome to Oak Tree Housing Association Ltd
Oak Tree Housing Association Ltd was formed in April 2001 as a result of the merger of Bow Farm Housing Association and James Watt Housing Association. Victoria Housing Association then joined the new organisation at the end of June 2001.
The three associations chose to come together for a variety of different reasons but primarily to create an organisation which is stronger than the sum of its parts and one that will have an effective long-term future.
Oak Tree Housing Association is very performance orientated with Service Delivery its main focus and increasingly involving tenants and residents in its decision-making processes.
The Association owns and manages approximately 1500 houses throughout Western Inverclyde and factors or provides services for a further 900 owner occupiers.
Over the past 19 years the Association has undertaken 46 development projects. The total investment to date has been approximately £90m and the programme has catered for a variety of tenures. At 75%, social housing is the largest tenure, however, the programme has also provided accommodation for low cost home ownership and outright sale on a shared equity basis.
Work has involved refurbishment, conversion, newbuild and demolition. Wider action involvement was also significant in the development of a community centre in the Branchton Social Inclusion Partnership area. In fact, the regeneration of previously designated Social Inclusion Partnership areas has been the main focus of the Associations development activities in recent years. Development of these areas has placed much emphasis on sustainability, energy efficiency and community involvement and when work is finished regenerating the Branchton, Wren Road and Grieve Road sites the Association, in conjunction with it’s development partners, will have helped to provide sustainable energy efficient affordable homes for a further 240 prospective tenants and homeowners.
Past achievements include the refurbishment of 54 closes in the West Station and Town Centre areas of Greenock. New build which accounts for 61% of the Associations total development programme has, over the years, provided a healthy mix of flats, and cottages. In addition, a number of special needs facilities have been provided and these have helped people with learning disabilities to live a healthy life in the local community rather than remain in hospital care.
Communication has been the key to our success and the Association would like to thank all of the stakeholders who have been involved in our projects. Their commitment is paramount and we will continue to involve them in all aspects of our future development activities.
The Association is managed by a Committee of Management of 15 members and operates currently through four sub-committees as follows:
Board of Management
- Development Sub-Commitee
- Housing Services Sub-Commitee
- Finance, Staffing and General Purposes Sub-Committee
- Internal Audit Sub-Committee
Housing Services, Finance, Staffing and General Purposes Sub-Committees meet monthly with Development and the Internal Audit Sub-Committee meeting on a quarterly basis.
At present the Association is not selling staff services but historically has sold development, finance and maintenance services and may well decide to do so again.
Services are delivered from two offices, one a town centre location and one a peripheral office located in Bow Farm. An estate built and owned by the Association.
We currently hold a B grading as a legacy of performance audit visits in Bow Farm and James Watt in late 1999 and 2000. Our July 2009 regulatory statement produced by The Scottish Housing Regulator, confirms that The Scottish Housing Regulator will have “ low engagement “ with us.
Locally we are active members of Inverclyde Housing Associations’ Forum, a forum of locally established Associations.
The Association holds membership with the S.F.H.A., S.H.A.R.E, and T.P.A.S. and are currently striving to introduce a Best Practice regime through all departments.
Expectations of our tenants and service users are high and the Committee of Management anticipate a continuous improvement in service delivery and hope to continue the growth and development of the Association.
