Welsh social landlords complete merger

Coastal Housing Group and RHA Wales Group have merged to form registered social landlord (RSL) Beacon Cymru Group. 

Starting today, the new organisation will own and manage 9,000 homes across South Wales, inheriting 6,000 from Swansea-based Coastal and the rest from Tonypandy-based RHA. Beacon aims to expand its stock to 10,000 units going forward.

Debbie Green, formerly chief executive of Costal, has been appointed boss of the Beacon Cymru Group.

She said: “By combining our strengths, we can deliver on our shared mission to provide secure, sustainable, and affordable homes for generations to come.”

>>See also: Two south Wales housing associations complete merger

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Meanwhile, RHA chief executive Luke Takeuchi will serve as the new association’s deputy chief executive. He said: “Together, we will work tirelessly to ensure our residents experience high quality services and even greater value for money, while driving meaningful change across South Wales.”

Beacon has outlined several goals for the future. These include expanding housing supply, investing in sustainable housing solutions, improving frontline services for tenants and enhancing its use of technology and data for greater insight into resident needs.

Law firm Devonshires represented both Coastal and RHA on the merger, providing advice on all aspects of the partnership, including structuring and lenders’ consents.