Agudas Israel Housing Association

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Agudas Israel Housing Association (AIHA)
Company typeNot For Profit Housing Association
Founded1982; 42 years ago (1982)
FounderLondon, UK
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Chaya Spitz OBE (CEO)
Number of employees
200
Websiteaiha.org.uk

Agudas Israel Housing Association (AIHA) is a BME Housing Association that provides over 900 low-cost homes for members of the Orthodox Jewish community in need across the UK. The non-profit includes low-cost housing for rent and shared ownership; retirement living; residential and nursing care;[1] supported living for people with special needs; and a mother-and-baby home.[2]

AIHA’s flagship scheme is Schonfeld Square, a mixed development incorporating rented general needs properties, sheltered retirement housing and a care home. The organization has earned various accolades, including the RIBA Housing Project Design Award, British Homes Awards, Housing Project Design Award, and Happi Award, to name a few.[3]

History[edit]

Agudas Israel Housing Association started its journey in 1982[4] to address the housing problems of the Orthodox Jewish community in North Hackney. Its main objective during that time was to provide housing advice to Charedi families in acute need. The Orthodox Jewish community, which by 1991 had reached an estimated 18,000 people, has since grown to approximately 75,000[5] people.[6]

AIHA registered with the Housing Corporation as a BME Housing Association in July 1986 with the purpose of providing housing for Orthodox Jews and is now registered with the Regulator of Social Housing as a Social Landlord. The organization has adopted the National Housing Federation Code of Governance in 2015.[7] It is governed in accordance with the Nolan principles of Public Life and AIHA’s own Code of Conduct and policies.

Services[edit]

Agudas Israel Housing Association manages over 900 homes in North London, Salford,[8] Canvey Island,[9] Westcliff, and Gateshead in the Northeast of England. The non-profit also provides over 100 spaces of supported housing, ranging from birth to retirement living, and employs over 145 team members to deliver these services.

Services provided at the flagship Schonfeld Square include residential and nursing care, hospice care, and supported housing for independent retired people. Other important AIHA projects include providing accommodation and support for people with learning disabilities at Yad Vo’Ezer’s in Queen Elizabeth Walk.

Notable AIHA developments include: the RIBA award-winning Schonfeld Square; the Beenstock Home in Salford; and the Beis Brucha Mother & Baby Home. All of the above mentioned works have been rated "Good" by the Care Quality Commission.[10]

Legal challenge[edit]

Agudas Israel Housing Association faced a legal challenge in 2017[11] filed by a mother of four children who had attempted to access suitable housing in Hackney from AIHA. Hackney Council did not forward her application to AIHA on account of her not being a member of the Orthodox Jewish community. This led the woman to bring judicial proceedings challenging the arrangements between AIHA and Hackney Council on the basis of discrimination.

Her claim was dismissed by the High Court,[12] which cited the difficulties faced by the Orthodox Jewish community in accessing suitable housing. The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal[13] and the Supreme Court[14] before an application was lodged by the complainant with the European Court of Human Rights in April 2021,[15] which unanimously determined that the arrangement between Hackney Borough and Agudas Israel was objectively and reasonably justified and concluded that the challenge to AIHA was manifestly ill-founded.

The judgment went in favor of the AIHA, which concluded their work, mission, and objectives as lawful, allowing them to continue developing and managing homes for the Orthodox Jewish community.

Awards and recognition[edit]

Agudas Israel Housing Association has been honored with several recognitions, as mentioned below:

  • 1992: AIHA won the RIBA Housing Project Design Award for the ‘Schoenfeld Square’ project[16]
  • 1996: AIHA’s founder, Ita Symons, was awarded an MBE[17] for housing Charedi families in need by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace
  • 2010: AIHA won the British Telegraph ‘British Homes Awards’ Affordable Housing Development for ‘The Gardens’ redevelopment which included 39 large new family homes[18]
  • 2013: AIHA and Hanover won both the ‘Housing Project Design Award’[19] and the ‘Happi Award’ for the Buccleuch House redevelopment scheme[20]
  • 2016: AIHA and Hanover won the Best Affordable Housing Development at the Sunday Times British Homes Awards for the Weissmandel Court Social Housing Scheme[21]
  • 2019: AIHA won the Employer of the Year (Silver 50-249 staff) award by the Investors in People[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ NHS (28 September 2009). "Care Providers - Agudas Israel Housing Association Limited - NHS". www.nhs.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  2. ^ "PolicyMogul". policymogul.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Judges reject bias claim against Jewish housing association | Housing | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Agudas Israel Housing Association Ltd - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Institute for Jewish Policy Research: Our publications". www.jpr.org.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  6. ^ "European Court of Human Rights upholds ruling in favour of Jewish housing association". Inside Housing. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  7. ^ "NHF members". National Housing Federation. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  8. ^ Keeling, Neal (18 April 2010). "Luxury homes at knock-down prices". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  9. ^ "The community that moved to Canvey Island". Inside Housing. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Beis Pinchas - Care Quality Commission". www.cqc.org.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  11. ^ White, Megan (10 February 2019). "Orthodox Jewish housing association relieved after legal win". Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Judges reject bias claim against Jewish housing association". the Guardian. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  13. ^ Reporter, Jewish News. "Charedi housing association wins legal battle in Court of Appeal". www.jewishnews.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  14. ^ Swerling, Gabriella (16 October 2020). "Housing association entitled to prioritise Orthodox Jews, Supreme Court rules". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  15. ^ Andy Ricketts. "European Court on Human Rights upholds some charities' right to restrict services". www.thirdsector.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Local London Timeline". studymore.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  17. ^ "THE NEW YEAR HONOURS: The Prime Minister's List". The Independent. 30 December 1995. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  18. ^ "The Gardens". Penoyre & Prasad. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Buccleuch House, Hackney, London E5 | The Housing Design Awards". hdawards.org. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Buccleuch House — Levitt Bernstein". www.levittbernstein.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  21. ^ Vowden, Martina Lees, Hugh Graham and Charlotte. "British Homes Awards 2016 winners". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 29 July 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "Shortlist". Investors in People. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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