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Scottish regulator directs transfer of Glasgow-based housing association’s homes

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has directed a transfer of tenants’ homes and other assets and liabilities from Thistle Housing Association to Sanctuary Scotland.

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Thistle Housing Association is based in Glasgow (picture: Getty)
Thistle Housing Association is based in Glasgow (picture: Getty)
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All of Thistle Housing Association’s homes and assets will be transferred to Sanctuary Scotland by 1 March #UKhousing

The decision was taken to safeguard the interest of tenants and service users more than two years after the regulator first intervened at the troubled housing association, the SHR said.

Regulatory intervention began at Thistle in 2018 after an independent review found “serious and wide-ranging compliance failures across all six standards”.

Following the intervention, further breaches of regulatory requirements were uncovered, including failures to comply with health and safety requirements relating to tenants, residents and employees.

In August last year, Thistle announced plans to consult tenants over the prospect of transferring its roughly 1,700 homes to Sanctuary Scotland, which manages more than 7,000 homes and is part of the wider Sanctuary group.

In an independent ballot of tenants, 92% voted yes to the transfer, leading to Thistle formally asking the regulator to use its powers to direct the transfer.


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After making enquiries and consulting with tenants and factored owners, the regulator concluded that the transfer should go ahead.

All of Thistle’s assets and liabilities will be transferred to Sanctuary Scotland by 1 March this year.

Ian Brennan, director of regulation at the SHR, said: “Tenants voted overwhelmingly in favour of the offer made by Sanctuary Scotland and our consultation has confirmed the strength and depth of the support for the transfer.

“We have today written to Thistle’s tenants and service users to inform them of our decision.

“We will continue to ensure that tenants and service users are kept informed throughout the transfer and following the transfer we will engage with Sanctuary to ensure the commitments made to tenants and residents are delivered.

“This will include plans to address the problems caused by the mismanagement of a major works contract.”

Lawrie West, chair of Thistle, said: “The management committee welcomes the decision of the SHR to issue a statutory direction to Thistle to transfer all of our assets to Sanctuary Scotland.

“This follows a year of hard work by both organisations and intense engagement with our tenants and factored owners to develop the fantastic package of benefits that the transfer to Sanctuary will secure.

“The consultation responses to the SHR on its proposal to direct mirrored our own consultation and tenant ballot. This affirms the huge support for positive change in Toryglen to address the problems our customers experienced in the past.”

Pat Cahill, director of Sanctuary Scotland, said: “The SHR’s own consultation is further evidence of the appetite the local community has for the transfer. We’re obviously thrilled Thistle tenants want Sanctuary Scotland to be their new landlord.

“We will continue to work with Thistle to formally complete the transfer on 1 March. We look forward to delivering on our transfer promises and to helping create an even better Toryglen.”

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