Celebrating 25 years of providing homes across North Devon

2025 marks a significant milestone for North Devon Homes as we celebrate 25 years of providing affordable homes and building vibrant communities across the region.

In February 2000, North Devon Council transferred its social housing stock to the newly created North Devon Homes. A quarter of a century later, we have grown into a registered charity, managing over 3,300 homes and supporting more than 10,000 customers, representing more than one in ten people across North Devon.

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on our journey and the positive impact we’ve had as a housing provider and community landlord,” says Chief Executive, Martyn Gimber. “Our mission extends beyond providing housing, we are committed to creating thriving communities where people want to live. We achieve this through investing in our neighbourhoods, working closely with customers, maintaining strong partnerships with local organisations, and delivering community initiatives that make North Devon a better place to live.”

Over the past 25 years, we have relet our properties approximately 6,000 times, meaning every home has, on average, housed two different families. “All our lettings come from Devon Home Choice, ensuring that 98% of our homes go to local families with a strong connection to North Devon and a genuine housing need,” continues Martyn. “During this time, we’ve also made significant investments in upgrading our housing stock, demolishing 200 outdated homes and building 600 new, modern, and thermally efficient properties.”

In 2024, we were proud to receive the highest possible rating in an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, placing North Devon Homes among the top-performing landlords in the sector for the quality of services delivered to customers.

Looking ahead, the we remain committed to addressing the ongoing housing crisis, as Martyn explains, “When we were founded in 2000, we inherited a housing stock already under pressure. If we look back even further to 1980, there were 7,200 affordable homes in North Devon, with one in five people living in an affordable home. Today, that figure has dropped to 4,500, just one in ten. Currently, 3,000 local households are on the waiting list, which is nearly the same number of homes lost since ‘Right to Buy’ was introduced. Put simply, for the housing market to function effectively, ideally, 15% of all homes built need to be affordable, yet in North Devon, that figure sits at just 9%.”

As part of our commitment to tackling this challenge, North Devon Homes has recently completed and handed over much-needed new affordable homes in Ilfracombe, Buckland Brewer, and Westward Ho!, providing safe and secure accommodation for local families.

“Despite our progress, there is still a long way to go to meet the growing demand for affordable homes,” Martyn concludes. “Being able to live in a decent home is a basic human right. We need to shift perspectives so that our communities and stakeholders see the value of new developments and support, rather than resist, the building of much-needed affordable homes.”

To mark our 25th anniversary, North Devon Homes has a special exhibition at The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon. Running until 22 March, the exhibition showcases the organisation’s journey as a housing association and explores the history of social housing in the region from the 19th century to the present day.