Bernicia reveals £210m investment plans

Housing association Bernicia has revealed plans to invest £210m into its homes, estates and communities across the next four years.Bernicia will focus on building at least 600 homes across the region, as well as implementing works to improve existing homes and neighbourhoods, and helping people into work.Tenants’ views have helped shape Bernicia’s new corporate strategy which outlines how it will provide its services during a time of major financial pressures on households.The association owns and manages 14,000 properties, employs more than 550 staff across the North East and has an annual turnover of £90m.It will commit additional resources to help tackle fuel poverty as households face a cost-of-living crisis. It will install more efficient heating systems into homes, fit extra insulation, photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps.Bernicia’s strategy aims to create £15m of added social value, partly by channelling the profits of its commercial arms; Kingston, a block and estate management and landscaping specialist; and estate agent Living Spaces, back into supporting tenants and the communities they live in.