Over the last few months we have been catching up on repairs, following COVID delays.

We have launched a new 'Improving Customer Experience' strategy. This is all about listening to you, our customers, understanding your needs and improving the service that we deliver to you. Our vision is 'To ensure all our customers live in a home they love and in a community in which they can thrive' and we want to provide consistently high levels of service to enable you to do this.

LYHA aims is to continuously improve the customer experience which we do by listening to and acting on customer feedback. You can now make a complaint or give a compliment via this website.

It's Debt Awareness Week and we know that many people are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet at the moment. If you're worried about spiralling debts or managing your finances, please take #thefirststep by speaking to one of our Income Officers who provide practical, friendly & non-judgemental support. Here are just a few short, anonymous case studies of people they've recently helped:

You will have recently received your annual rent review letter through the post. From 1st April 2021 we will be increasing our rents by 1.5% to help us improve our homes and communities and provide better services to you. This increase reflects current government policy and is in line with other housing associations throughout the UK. Your letter will provide an individual breakdown of your new monthly costs.

How will this money be spent?

LYHA is a not-for-profit organisation and all additional rent income will be invested in our homes and communities:

Read our February 2021 Customer Newsletter.

My career in housing began in the mid 1990’s, my first ‘proper’ job out of university. I worked for The Housing Corporation in an admin role, managing a portfolio of housing associations; processing paper applications for new schemes and managing cashflows amongst other things. This whet my appetite for development, as the role had given me an insight into the development process and the many challenges that came with it, so I pursued my new found goal of working for a housing association and started my career in development which has now spanned more than two decades!

Many of us are worried about rising heating costs and energy bills at the moment, especially with the cold weather and the fact that we're all at home a lot more than usual due to current lockdown advice.

As you will know, the government has announced a further national lockdown, beginning 5th January 2021. Naturally, this brings with it lots of challenges, worries and uncertainty.

We are optimistic that now the vaccine is here things will slowly start to improve, but unfortunately the first few months of 2021 will be tough.

Winter can be a difficult time of year, especially in 2020/21 when we are not able to see friends and family in the usual way. If you are in need of support, please seek help and don't suffer in silence and keep an eye out for any older or vulnerable neighbours.

We are very pleased to announce that the Regulator of Social Housing has today published its regulatory judgement announcing that Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) has retained its G1 V1 rating following an IDA (in depth assessment). This is the highest governance and financial viability rating awarded.

As you will know, the government has announced a second national lockdown (beginning 4th November). This is a worrying and challenging time for us all and we want to reassure you that we are committed to doing everything we can to support you. The government advice is that we can continue to provide our current services (including repairs and new lettings) and our focus is on ensuring we deliver these services safely. Our customers’ and colleagues’ health will always come first.

A group of housing associations has today published a prospectus outlining detailed proposals on how to provide more homes and improve lives across West Yorkshire as the region prepares to choose its first metro mayor.

Continually improving our repairs service is very important to us and listening to customer feedback, we know that you agree. We therefore decided to retender our repairs contract, with our Customer Scrutiny Panel playing a key role in the selection process to ensure that customers’ views were taken into account.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the new LYHA Corporate Plan - Together 2023

It's called "Together 2023" because our approach is all about collaboration and partnership, listening and acting on what you tell us so that we can improve the customer experience. It sets out how we will continue to improve what we do and our ambitious plans for the future, as well as our new vision, mission, values and objectives. 

We hope that you'll take a look at the plan yourself by clicking on the links below to:

We are delighted that Liz Sandwith, LYHA Board Member and Chair of our Audit and Risk Committee, has been awarded this year’s prestigious JJ Morris Distinguished Service Award by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).  The award recognises her outstanding service and dedication to the profession of internal auditing and is made annually by the IIA’s Council of Directors. She commented: “Receiving such an prestigious award is a great honour”.

Read our latest news in our July 2020 Customer Bulletin.

Recent events, in particular the Black Lives Matter Movement, have shone the spotlight on the continuing prejudice and inequalities facing people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, both here in the UK and throughout the world. I believe that we as an organisation, and as individuals, have a duty to speak up; to take a stand against racism and injustice and ensure that nobody faces discrimination because of their skin colour, race or religion. This extends to our customers, communities, employees and society as a whole.

Read all the latest LYHA news and service updates in our May Customer Bulletin: 

Read the latest news about our Coravirus service updates in our April Customer Bulletin. 

LYHA has been recognised as a 5 Star Employer after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from our employees through independent employee engagement experts WorkBuzz.

In March 2020, WorkBuzz invited all employees at LYHA to provide confidential feedback about their experience working for LYHA, including feedback on Wellbeing and Recognition, the relationship with their manager and day-to-day responsibilities.

We are thrilled that one of our Housing Officers, Niesha Martin, has been selected by the National Housing Federation to be an Insight Leader for their new 'Housing Futures' innovation campaign. 

Here, in her first blog, she takes us through her hopes for the project and journey to date.

We are currently writing to all our customers with their new rent and service charge schedule for the next fiancial year, beginning April 2020. We have produced this customer leaflet to help explain the changes.

The team at LYHA would like to wish all our customers and partners a happy and healthy 2020.

We are committed to listening to the views of our customers and always value your feedback. We hope these "You Said We Dids" highlight some of the ways we have recently acted on what you've told us to make improvements to our service.

Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) has appointed Mark Pearson as permanent Chief Executive, with immediate effect.

The Regulator of Social Housing has published its regulatory judgement announcing that Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) has regained its G1 V1 rating.  The judgement acknowledges how LYHA’s approach to health and safety and risk management has been strengthened over recent months.

Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) has created an outdoor ‘Forest Classroom’ for pupils at Horsforth Featherbank Primary School in Leeds.

Read all the latest news from Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association in our August Customer Bulletin.

Read all the latest news from LYHA in our July Customer Bulletin.

Read the latest news from LYHA in our April newsletter, please click here. 

We take our customers' safety very seriously at LYHA and our Health & Safety Block Inspection service starts this week. Andy & Graham will be carrying out weekly fire safety inspections of all our homes which share communal areas. This will include testing fire alarms, safety and detection equipment.

Diversity has always been at the heart of LYHA’s philosophy.

Our parent organisation was founded back in the 1950s when Britain was still suffering from the effects of World War 2: rationing was still in operation; many areas were devastated from bombing and there was a shortage of homes to house the fast growing ‘baby boom’ population.

Read all our latest news in our February Customer Bulletin.

Read our latest news for customers in our February Newsletter.

Throughout the Christmas period the LYHA team collected over £1,000 of donations for our local Trussell Trust foodbanks. We then did an incredibly 'big shop' and have handed over all the donations to the Leeds North and West foodbank team.

Both staff and Board have contributed generously to making this happen. A big thank you to everyone involved.

If you are experiencing money struggles, please don't suffer in silence and let your rent payments lapse.

You can contact one of our Income Officers, Katy Horrigan and Chris Radcliffe, on 0113 278 3335. They will be able to answer your questions and signpost you to sources of support.

Did you know if you or a friend or family member are on a low income, you could be eligible for the government's Warm Home Discount scheme and receive £140 off your electricity bill this winter. To find out more visit: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Read our latest new in our October Customer Bulletin.

Following customer feedback, we have worked with our Customer Scrutiny Panel to upgrade our current telephone system. We hope that this change will improve the experience customers receive when making calls to LYHA.

Our contact number remains the same 0113 278 3335. If all of our advisors are busy when you call, you will be placed in a queue and notified of your position in the queue. We will also give you an estimated waiting time.

The Homelessness Reduction Act comes into force this week. We've signed up to the National Housing Federation's Commitment to Refer to help ensure anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless can access help. If you know anyone at risk, please contact your local authority Housing Options and Support Service.

This week’s government green paper on social housing recognises the urgent importance of creating a new supply of affordable homes. National Housing Federation research earlier this year revealed that between 2012 and 2016, nearly 36,000 too few homes were built in Yorkshire and Humber. Housing associations are doing lots of great work to alleviate that. In 2016/17 housing associations delivered over 2,000 new affordable and market-priced homes in Yorkshire and started a further 2,557. Here at LYHA we have an ambitious new-build strategy.

Please see all our latest news in our July Customer Bulletin.

Find out the latest news from LYHA in our June Customer Bulletin

We have announced plans to build 54 new homes in Athersley South, in Barnsley.  Planning permission has been granted and work will begin on site in the Summer.  Once completed this will be the largest new-build development that LYHA has undertaken for a number of years and will provide much needed affordable homes for families and older people in an area of acute housing need.

Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) today celebrates the completion and official opening of a new affordable housing development off Burley Lane, in Horsforth.  The £1.8 million scheme comprises thirteen new homes: two 3-bedroom family houses and eleven 2-bedroom apartments for over 55s. These have all been let to local people who were delighted to receive their keys today. 

Please help us improve our service by completing our annual customer satisfaction survey. This has been emailed out to customers with a reply link. Paper copies have also been sent out by post. All answers are anonymous and confidential.
Complete it and you could win up to £125 in our free prize draw.

Read all our latest news in our March Customer Bulletin. 

A £750,000 refurbishment project by Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA), Leeds-based architects, Woodhall Planning and Conservation and Ilkley-based contractor, Dobson Construction Ltd, to create nine affordable apartments within a former Victorian family home in Settle was recognised as a finalist in the Best Affordable Rural Housing Development category at the prestigious Inside Housing Development Awards in London last night.

St. John’s House, providing 23 high-quality affordable homes within walking distance of Leeds City Centre, has been officially opened by our Chief Executive ​and Councillor Debra Coupar, Executive Member for Communities at Leeds City Council.