Great Places is an organisation with a proud history dating back over 60 years. Supporting our many customers across the North of England, we are much more than just a landlord, providing a wide range of services and promoting partnership work to create vibrant, sustainable communities.
Check out our history and find out how Great Places became the organisation it is today.
2000 – Salford Community Housing Association becomes Space New Living
2000 – Salford First initiative set up and gains momentum throughout the decade to deliver on the regeneration of Seedley and Langworthy
2001 – Longridge and Shaw Heath, Knutsford, transfered to MMHA from Manchester City Council
2002 – The Housing Market Renewal Initiative was launched “to renew failing housing markets in nine designated areas of the North and Midlands of England” including Oldham/Rochdale, Manchester/Salford and South Yorkshire. This ran until 2011 and had a major impact across Great Places’ regions
2003 – MMHA merges with Selhal, creating Manchester Methodist Housing Group (MMHG)
2004 – Residents of Manchester’s infamous Cardroom estate picked MMHA to develop new homes for the delivery of their “˜Right to Return’, kick-starting our involvement in the radical transformation of New Islington
2004 – Great Places selected as part of a unique partnership in the Park Hill regeneration project, Sheffield – the largest listed building in Europe
2006 – Central Methodist Housing Association was renamed as Plumlife Homes Limited, with the Group’s shared ownership and leasehold activities operating under the Plumlife brand
2006 – Great Places Housing Group is formed with the merger of MMHG and Ashiana
2007 – Space New Living joins Great Places Housing Group
2007 – 100% of Manchester Council tenants selected MMHA as landlord in Weybridge Road, New Islington, in the smallest stock transfer ever recorded at the time (just 14 houses)
2007 – Stock transfer of Wybourn and Richmond Park from Sheffield City Council, following a successful customer ballot
2007 – Cube Homes established as a market-facing arm of Great Places to carry out profitable activity to subsidise charitable activities
2008 – Eric Armitt named as Honorary Life President of Equity Housing Group
2008 – Our regeneration work in Northmoor was recognised with prestigious Housing Corporation Gold and ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) awards
2008 – Blackpool’s Windmill Housing Association becomes part of the group
2009 – Great Places is simplified so that just one name is used
2011 – Large-scale Oldham PFI housing management contract won as part of the Inspiral partnership
2012 – Debut bond issue of £200m
2012 – First annual Community Stars Awards held to recognise customers who make a real difference in our communities
2013 – Equity Living estate agency launched; and Equity Foundation established
2013 – Repairs service brought in house
2015 – Launched our own materials Distribution Centre to further enhance the repairs service
2015 – Government imposes a four-year rent cut; we respond with Building Greatness, making us more efficient and effective
2018 – Hive Homes joint venture founded to make home ownership more accessible to people across Greater Manchester
2018 – Strategic Partnership with Homes England
2019 – Announced as lead partner in pioneering Greater Manchester Housing First initiative to tackle rough sleeping
