The plan launch comes at a time Clyde Valley Housing Association (CVHA) has been working at the heart of the community to help its customers to deal with the effects of the COVID pandemic. CVG was also a key contributor to the recent The Impact of Social Housingresearch launched by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Lynn Wassell, chief executive of Clyde Valley Housing Association, said: “Clyde Valley Group owns 4200 homes and provides factored services to more than 3000 owners across Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire and we have around 500 new homes currently under construction. Our team has responded fantastically during the lockdown. They have been at the leading edge of an unprecedented campaign to engage with customers and ensure they are getting the help they need during lockdown restrictions.

“Our team has made thousands of calls to customers offering help ranging from co-ordinating everyday repairs safely through to working with partners to offer services such as employability support, re-housing and our own income maximisation advice. We’ve invested £10k and directing people in need to our local foodbanks and plan to invest another £10k in local environmental improvements using community benefit contributions as part of our Scottish Procurement Alliance membership.

“The pandemic has brought the social values which underpin our new Corporate Plan into sharp focus; our investment and increasing impact as a community anchor across our region. We intend to play an integral part in economic and social renewal in the recovery from COVID and beyond.”

Allan Murray, chairperson of the Clyde Valley Housing Association, said: “Working with trusted partners will be even more important in the months and years ahead. We’re proud of our track record of delivering support with networks such as Women’s Aid in Motherwell and the ‘Routes to Work’ Service. Our in-house ‘income maximisation’ team has been busy helping people who have lost jobs or had hours at work reduced to access benefits and practical money advice.

“Our plan ahead will focus on building more and even stronger collaborations across the communities we work in and supporting wider regeneration including in town centres. Our three valued Local Authority partners are critical to our success as we continue to work together combining our agility to complement their scale and leverage.”

Lynn Wassell added: “An essential part of the Corporate Plan is investing in the local economy to help our communities recover together. We work extensively with local contractors in development, repairs and other services. Many are based in Lanarkshire and employ local people with a focus on moving apprentices into skilled employment. Our ambitious new supply pipeline will help to maintain and grow these job opportunities as well as around our £30m investment in existing homes.

“Our subsidiary Clyde Valley Property Services is also building on its success in property management, construction and factoring. Again this should help to keep the local economy and housing market moving and help people in the mid-market and market rental segment find suitable accommodation close to home so their disposable income stays local. CVPS will also be launching a new private lettings business Clyde Valley Lets. This offers a social letting agency proposition to compete with the private sector. We will encourage private landlords to entrust their investment properties to us to manage on their behalf. Fundamental to this will be delivering high quality property management services and driving up standards to further support community sustainability.

“Our Plan also has a clear focus on realising the potential of our people and understanding what makes them tick. Through training, career development and where they need it emotional or wellbeing support. They have given so much to help customers and we intend to ensure their well-being is supported in the time ahead.

“The scale and breadth of the challenges and our ambitions are significant. However, we are clear in our core purpose to provide high-quality homes and services that make a difference to peoples’ lives and to their communities. This is what will guide delivery of the strategy in the years ahead.

“We are also clear that front and central in our Plan are our customers. They will lead the way on designing our services and customer insight will drive what we do. As a Customer Services Excellence accredited organisation, our team is always ‘driven by excellence’ and it’s no coincidence that this is one of our Company Values.”

Margaret McMahon, from Coatbridge, who sits on Clyde Valley Housing Association’s Customer Panel, said: “Clyde Valley has made a real difference to my life by providing an adapted bungalow which meets the needs of life with a disability. Their help has been focused on helping me with what I can do not want I can’t. It’s been great to look at the detail of the plan especially seeing the new homes which are planned. We need to Housing Associations now more than ever and I look forward to playing my part.”