North Devon Homes celebrates 25 years as a community landlord

North Devon Homes has marked its 25th birthday and is celebrating a quarter of a century of providing affordable homes and building vibrant communities across the region.

It was in In February 2000 when North Devon Council transferred its social housing stock to the newly-created North Devon Homes.

Since then, the organisation has grown into a registered charity, managing more than 3,300 homes and supporting more than 10,000 customers, representing more than one in 10 people across North Devon.

NDH Chief Executive Martyn Gimber said: “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on our journey and the positive impact we’ve had as a housing provider and community landlord.

“Our mission extends beyond providing housing, we are committed to creating thriving communities where people want to live. We achieve this through investing in our neighbourhoods, working closely with customers, maintaining strong partnerships with local organisations, and delivering community initiatives that make North Devon a better place to live.”

Over the past 25 years, North Devon Homes has re-let its properties around 6,000 times, meaning every home has, on average, housed two different families.

Martyn added: “All our lettings come from Devon Home Choice, ensuring that 98% of our homes go to local families with a strong connection to North Devon and a genuine housing need.

“During this time, we’ve also made significant investments in upgrading our housing stock, demolishing 200 outdated homes and building 600 new, modern, and thermally efficient properties.”

In 2024, North Devon Homes received the highest possible rating in an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, placing it among the top-performing landlords in the sector for the quality of services delivered to customers.

Looking ahead, the organisation remains committed to addressing the ongoing housing crisis.

Martyn continued: “When we were founded in 2000, we inherited a housing stock already under pressure. If we look back even further to 1980, there were 7,200 affordable homes in North Devon, with one in five people living in an affordable home.

“Today, that figure has dropped to 4,500, just one in 10. Currently, 3,000 local households are on the waiting list, which is nearly the same number of homes lost since ‘Right to Buy’ was introduced. Put simply, for the housing market to function effectively, ideally, 15% of all homes built need to be affordable, yet in North Devon, that figure sits at just 9%.”

As part of its commitment to tackling this challenge, the charity has recently completed and handed over much-needed new affordable homes in Ilfracombe, Buckland Brewer, and Westward Ho!

“Despite our progress, there is still a long way to go to meet the growing demand for affordable homes,” Martyn concluded.

“Being able to live in a decent home is a basic human right. We need to shift perspectives so that our communities and stakeholders see the value of new developments and support, rather than resist, the building of much-needed affordable homes.”

To mark its 25th anniversary, North Devon Homes has a special exhibition at The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon. Running until this Saturday (March 22) the exhibition showcases the organisation’s journey as a housing association and explores the history of social housing in the region from the 19th century to the present day.