Ujima’s demise under inquiry
Filed Under Country Curtain | Posted on January 27, 2008
Related ItemsHousing Corporation holds inquiry into Ujima Housing Association collapse St Mungo’s get green light for Brent homeless hostel Housing associations score a result but could do betterLeeds looks to historyCampaigners rally to rescue troubled UjimaDCLG aims to get personal on housingNew Housing Corporation centre aims to tackle youth homelessness New social housing watchdog Housing Corporation removes Three Valleys Housing from supervisionNew urban design manual for sustainable homes The Housing Corporation has announced an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of Ujima Housing Association.
Earlier this month, the organisation effectively ceased to exist when its liabilities and assets, including its housing stock, were transferred to London %26amp; Quadrant. There had been some controversy over the transfer when it was proposed, with a campaign emerging to try and save what had been one of the largest and oldest BME housing associations in the country, with around 4,600 properties mostly in London.
The transfer was supported by Ujimas board, but the plan failed to gain the 75 per cent majority of the troubled organisations shareholders. Ujima consequently sought a winding up Petition from the Court on the 20 December. In October, the Housing Corporation placed the organisation under supervision because of concerns about its governance. Following this move, it emerged that Ujima was facing severe financial difficulties, such that its future independence was deemed unsustainable.
So began the countdown to the transfer to London %26amp; Quadrant. The Housing Corporation is hoping that the independent inquiry will determine what went wrong and so help avoid such further catastrophic failures in the housing association sector. The full terms of reference and timetable for the inquiry have yet to be announced.
As part of effective regulation, we believe it is right and proper to commission an independent inquiry into what went wrong at Ujima in order to see what lessons can be learned, said the Corporations chief executive Steve Douglas.
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