A High Peak charity has taken its first steps towards setting up a community housing association and will take ownership and the running of five flats.

The move by Zink has seen funding raised as they look to expand into a new area that they see as very much needed.

Paul Bohan, CEO at Zink, said: "Some Zink clients are homeless or in unstable housing and we have heard horror stories about the accommodation they are in.

"For these reasons, we had been looking for somewhere where we could provide housing support with a view to setting up a housing association owned by and lived in by High Peak people."

Zink were keen that any properties they took on were not shared houses but provided residents with their own front door.

“From speaking to our clients, it is clear that a shared house doesn’t feel like a home,” said Paul.

At the end of 2022 the charity was given an opportunity to acquire a small block of flats and have been working to raise the finance to make that happen. They have realised that ambition and will become the new owners in a few weeks.

Once they take ownership, the charity will begin to set up a Community Benefit Society (CBS) to expand the housing programme.

“Local people and organisations will be able to invest in the CBS to not only help address the housing shortage in the area, but with enough investors we should be able to build homes as well giving the community more say,” said Paul.

You can register an interest in making an investment in community shares or joining the board of the CBS by emailing paul@zink.org.uk or calling Zink on 01298 214926.

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