Cordale demonstrate the value of local control

Cordale Housing Association recently received the CIH Scotland Excellence in Regeneration Award from Housing and Communities Minster Alex Neil MSP. The award sponsored by the Scottish Centre for Regeneration, part of the Scottish Government, recognises the invaluable role that housing organisations play in revitalising communities across Scotland by doing much more than providing good quality affordable housing.

Announcing the award winner at the CIH Scotland Annual Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen, Cy Neil, Chair CIH Scotland said:

“Cordale Housing Association, based in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, has been a catalyst in improving the area and the lives and prospects of the people there. It has become a lead player in West Dunbartonshire in a number of social and economic development initiatives. These include the building and leasing out a much needed new supermarket site, but retaining ownership of the site to give the local community an asset for the future and more control over its own future. It also includes the building and owning of a Healthy Living Centre home to a much needed new doctors surgery and chemist. It has also just completed a 40 apartment extra care housing development. It has been active in supporting the Carman Centre which provides a range of social, learning and training facilities for the community. All of this has helped to create more than 50 jobs in area where employment opportunities been scarce. On top of all this Cordale has done what all housing associations do well, by building many new homes in the area for both rent and sale and refurbishing run down ones.

“Cordale is receiving the award today because it exemplifies how housing organisations can provide a holistic approach to regeneration and help the Government in the drive to improve people lives throughout Scotland. We are launching a new Action Plan later on this week at the conference which shows just how housing organisations can help the Government deliver regeneration in Scotland.”

In receiving the award Stephen Gibson from Cordale Housing Association said:

“We are obviously delighted to receive the 2008 Regeneration Award along with West Dunbartonshire Council and the Carman Centre. We’ve argued for a long time that building houses is only the tip of the iceberg. In order to deliver sustainable regeneration in Scotland and maximise opportunity, housing-led investment must be used as a catalyst for redressing the social and economic development issues that marginalise areas and communities”.