Salix Homes marks 10 years of transforming homes and communities in Salford

Salix Homes is celebrating 10 years of making a difference – investing in homes, supporting communities, and shaping the future of social housing in the city.

This week marks the 10-year anniversary since we became a stand-alone housing association after tenants voted to transfer ownership of more than 8,000 properties from Salford City Council – a move which unlocked millions of pounds in funding to transform homes and communities.

Since the stock transfer in March 2015, we have delivered on our promise to improve homes, communities and housing services across Salford – investing £235 million in building new homes and upgrading existing properties.

To reflect on our remarkable journey, we have produced The Salix Story, a commemorative book capturing our key milestones, challenges and achievements over the past decade.

Salix Homes’ Chief Executive Sue Sutton said: “Reaching our 10-year milestone is an incredible achievement, and it’s a moment of pride for everyone who has been part of the Salix Homes story. Over the past decade, we have made huge strides in improving homes, building new ones, and supporting our communities.

“It hasn’t always been easy. We’ve faced significant challenges, including the Salford Boxing Day floods, the tragedy of Grenfell and the subsequent building safety reforms, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic pressures and regulatory changes.

“But through these tough times, we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to deliver safe, high-quality homes and services. Through innovation, investment, and the dedication of our people – colleagues, customers, our Board and partners – we have built a housing service that Salford can be proud of.”

Key achievements over the past 10 years include:

• Building 560 new homes, with another 169 either on-site or in the pipeline.
• Investing £235 million in building new homes and improving existing properties.
• Securing £37.6 million in grant funding to build new homes or repurpose existing buildings.
• Completing more than 251,000 repairs and re-letting over 4,000 homes.
• Securing £8.9 million funding for high-rise cladding remediation work.
• Installing 5,997 new kitchens and bathrooms.
• Supporting customers to claim an additional £3.5 million in benefits and helping more than 3,000 people transition to Universal Credit.
• Donating more than £500,000 through the Springboard community grant programme.

One of the our proudest achievements came in 2024 when we became one of the first housing associations in the country to achieve the highest C1 Consumer grading from the Regulator of Social Housing, in recognition of the high-quality homes and services provided to customers.

As Salix Homes enters its second decade, we will do so under new leadership, with Sue Sutton retiring this summer and Liam Turner stepping into the role of Chief Executive from next month (April 2025).

Liam has worked at Salix Homes since 2013 and is our current Executive Director of Assets, Growth and Sustainability. He said: “I’m honoured to be stepping into the role of Chief Executive and leading Salix Homes into its next chapter, building on the incredible legacy that Sue and the team have created over the past decade.

“Looking ahead, as we develop our next Corporate Plan and set our priorities for 2025 and beyond, we will focus on what matters most: our people – both customers and colleagues – while continuing to deliver on our core mission to provide safe, high-quality, and sustainable homes and services for our customers.”