The Dundee-based Hillcrest Group has celebrated another chart-topping year.
Financially the charity’s success was measured by it raising its turnover by £3 million to £45.76m and its surplus before tax from £1.1m to at £4.28m in the year to March 2016.
Practically, it provided more high quality accommodation at affordable rents for thousands of people in housing need throughout Scotland.
The group, with a workforce of more than 1000, also provided care and support services for those in need due to age, infirmity, disablement and handicap.
The group, as Hillcrest Housing Association, received two-thirds of its income for the year from its letting of affordable homes.
The remainder came as support funding from councils to provide care and support, commercial properties, grants for building properties, employability money, sale of housing and from interest.
Hillcrest Housing Association, the parent company, is the social housing provider and during the year it completed 154 new affordable properties in Edinburgh and Tayside.
The achievement involved a grant spend of £10.9m, almost £3m higher than the target, which the group said underlined Hillcrest’s reputation as a reliable delivering organisation.
A programme of 817 new homes over the next three years is now the focus.
Gowrie Care provides support to more than 700 people in Angus, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow and Perthshire.
Hillcrest Maintenance Services maintains the properties of group companies and external organisations.
Northern Housing Company provides mid-market rental accommodation in Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh.
Hillcrest Enterprises has a small property portfolio for people with special support needs and recruits staff for the care sector.
Craigowl Communities provides learning and employment opportunities for people trying to overcome disadvantage.
Other group companies include Explorer Heat, which services the district heating system in Hillcrest’s Sailmaker development in Edinburgh; and Leith Links which provides mid-market rented accommodation in the capital.
Angela Linton, chief executive, said: “We’ve increased our turnover by over £3m and have invested an additional £20m into our property portfolio.
“Our success impacts on the communities we operate in with an increase in job opportunities and spend in the local economy.
“Hillcrest Maintenance Services, spent over £3000 on materials and contractors, the majority in the Tayside area.
“All of the companies aim to make a difference to people’s lives and we’ve continued to do this by expanding choices for individuals through housing, care and employability.”
Further evidence of Hillcrest’s success came with it winning the Large Housing Association of the Year prize at the Scottish Home Awards and the local matters for Dundee accolade at The Courier Business Awards.
