Victoria Slade

As the new chief executive of the Guernsey Housing Association (GHA), Victoria Slade has some impressive footsteps to follow in. Her predecessor, Steve Williams, has helped transform the social housing landscape in the island during his 17 years in the role. But Victoria is clear that she has ambitions and priorities of her own that she’s excited to tackle.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the sector, Victoria has come from roles across the UK, most recently in Wales. But while our small island may not seem the most obvious career move, she says it’s exactly where she wants to be.

“I’ve always wanted to live on an island, and this really is my dream. Guernsey seems to have such a strong community spirit. There is a real sense of connection here as well as the fact it’s extremely beautiful. I’m very excited to be here and to start getting involved with the community. I really want to be a net contributor to the island – both through work and helping meet the housing needs in the island as well as volunteering and offering my services that way.” So far, Victoria’s career has seen her work with large social landlords managing 60,000 homes across England and Scotland to her most recent CEO role at Cynon Taf Community Housing Group in South Wales, dealing with fewer than 2,000 properties. But while the numbers may have got smaller, the challenges didn’t – and it’s that experience Victoria is hoping to bring to Guernsey.

“The challenges of Guernsey’s housing market were part of the island’s attraction for me. Lots of the difficulties you would find elsewhere are hugely amplified because of the island’s unique situation. Housing prices, land availability and build costs are issues everywhere, but they are harder to overcome here, while the need for housing is acute. At the same time, it was really important to me to be community-based. The bigger the organisation, the more you are removed from the tenants and the communities you are there to help. Having that connection is really important to me.”

Speaking to Victoria, it’s clear that social housing is something she feels passionately about – not only to provide roofs over tenants’ heads, but to offer other opportunities through housing stability.

“Housing is such a fundamental part of people’s lives. If you don’t have access to a decent quality home, which is affordable, so many other elements of your life are impacted. For many people, good outcomes in education, and employment, require stability of good quality living arrangements. Poor quality, or a cycle of temporary housing, can have a significant effect on your health. All these things are so important, and that’s why meeting housing needs will never not need a focus.”

GHA PROPERTIES

The GHA has now developed 1,032 properties in the island that need to be maintained and managed along with its new build programme. The portfolio includes:

• 567 general needs homes

• 247 partial ownership properties

• 165 extra care rented and partial ownership properties

• 45 units of key worker accommodation

• 8 specialist autism designed properties

HOUSING IS SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF PEOPLE’S LIVES. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A DECENT QUALITY HOME, SO MANY OTHER ELEMENTS OF YOUR LIFE ARE CURTAILED. FOR MANY PEOPLE, ACCESS TO EDUCATION REQUIRES A STABLE HOME.

The plans for new GHA properties have been in the headlines recently – with the organisation acquiring a number of sites for development. Those properties won’t come on-line for another couple of years, but Victoria is adamant there is progress that can be made in other areas in the meantime.

“What the GHA offers is not just about building new houses, it’s about providing an excellent service as well. I think we can add value in other areas through linking with other organisations. One example would be the Guernsey Community Foundation’s recent work on hidden homelessness. If we can find out more about housing needs like that, we can work with others to try and help address those issues. That community aspect really interests me.

“I think there is more we can do around the edges to make sure the GHA is really contributing to understanding the challenges islanders are facing and how those can be tackled. But for me, there’s certainly a lot of learning ahead to understand the Guernsey context. It’s no good simply copying what has been done before elsewhere, the services need to be appropriate for Guernsey.” Alongside that work, Victoria is keen to focus on the GHA’s existing properties to ensure those tenants are having a positive experience. She believes the growth of the organisation means there is scope to reassess and review how services are delivered.

“Obviously the new builds can’t stop as the pressure is there for them. But we need to look at what else is important to people and how we can make a difference in those areas. At the same time, the GHA’s other properties are getting older and require investment and maintenance. Those landlord functions are obviously a key part of the remit as well.

“The GHA has been really focused for a number of years on tackling the need for new affordable homes. Now that the number of GHA properties is getting more significant, and some of them are ageing, it feels like a really natural point to review the organisation and bring in a different perspective as to how the GHA moves forward.”

While those areas use the skills Victoria has honed over the past couple of decades, she admits that the development side of the role will be a learning curve for her. Luckily, the long handover period with Steve should come in handy as she gets to grips with her new responsibilities.

“It’s lovely to come in to an organisation that’s been clear about what it’s for and is focused on delivery. Property development hasn’t been as much of a focus for me before, so that’s definitely an area for personal development. The long handover with Steve will be such a bonus as I can learn from him, along with the development team, who have a great skill set that I can benefit from. I’ve never had a handover period like this before, and I think it will be beneficial for everyone.”

But while there’s change at the top, Victoria is clear that the ethos of the GHA will stay the same when it comes to build quality and finish.

“It is really important to me that GHA homes are high quality. I think they’ve done an amazing job with the properties so far. When I went to see some of the newer sites they’ve developed, I was blown away by the quality of the design and the construction and finishes. While the team approaches the job very sensibly with regard to maintenance and items being easy to replace, they haven’t compromised the design and finish. “Housing need should not mean that poor quality accommodation is the only option. Stigma is a real issue in the UK, with grant rates cut to the bare bones which means that space standards and construction standards are maybe not what associations would want. The GHA, with the States’ support, has very clear standards which don’t get compromised.”

Those standards are renowned for including high specifications in areas such as thermal insulation and energy efficiency. The GHA’s requirements are far higher than those mandated by building control, with the aim of not only reducing the cost of living for tenants but minimising the houses’ environmental impact.

“As an ethical organisation, we’ve got to consider that. We need to make sure that our construction and fabrication is as environmentally friendly as possible. Luckily the Board is really committed to that so it’s something that will benefit everyone.”

Victoria is adamant that, under her watch, the GHA will continue to build high quality homes for those who need them, combining different types of tenures to ensure its developments support happy, healthy islanders who can take advantage of the opportunities offered.

The GHA was founded in 2002 in response to the need in the island for partial ownership properties and more support for those in need of affordable housing. Since then, it has built hundreds of properties around the island including extra care and key worker homes.

It is an independent not-for-profit company that works in partnership with the States to deliver social housing. It is led by the chief executive, with all board directors unpaid volunteers.

The GHA and the States of Guernsey hold a single waiting list for social housing to allow for greater efficiency and transparency in the application process.