Suffolk Housing Society has been helping to meet local people’s housing needs for more than 30 years.
Here are a few of the key milestones we have celebrated along the way:
1974Suffolk Housing Society is formed as a result of a lack of smaller affordable homes in the county.
1976We complete our first housing scheme – 16 one and two bedroom flats at Steward House in Bury St Edmunds.
1982We employ our own “in house” staff team for the first time based at Jubilee Court in Bury St Edmunds.
1992We take out our first private loan of £5 million with the Bank of Scotland.
1995We move to our current office base at Old Mission House in Bury St Edmunds.
1997We complete our 1000th home which was opened by Look East presenter Stewart White.
1999We achieve our first accreditation as an Investor in People, after demonstrating our commitment to developing staff.
2000We establish
Linnet Property Management as a commercial landlord and as a provider of property management services.
2001We build the first new
hemp homes in the UK.
2004We and two partners in Norfolk and Essex –
Colne Housing Association and Cotman Housing Association (replaced in early 2009 by
Hundred Houses Society from Cambridge) – join forces to launch
Iceni Homes, a joint venture company providing development services.
2005We join
Key Communities, a partnership of seven independent housing associations working together to deliver a multi-million pound affordable housing development programme across the eastern region.
2006The Housing Corporation awards us the maximum four green lights in its latest assessment, proving we are well managed and properly governed.
2007Working with seven other East Anglian-based housing associations, we form the Eastern Procurement Consortium. Together we bulk-buy goods and services such as new kitchens and bathrooms to get better value for money.
2008We achieve re-accreditation as an Investor in People in November, having demonstrated that we continue to meet the high standards required.