Housing associations open talks on merger to create 44,000-home group

Two housing associations have confirmed that they are in discussions about a merger that would create a combined group owning 44,000 homes.

AmicusHorizon owns or manages just under 28,000 homes in London, Kent and Sussex.

Viridian meanwhile has more than 16,000 homes in London, the Midlands and East Sussex. It is a member of the Housing Associations Legal Alliance.

Commenting on the merger talks, Paul Hackett, chief executive of AmicusHorizon, said: "Working together we can build on our track record of engaging with residents to deliver sector-leading customer services. Economies of scale will enable us to accelerate our digital offer to increase choice at lower cost.

“By working together we can create the capacity to build more homes, more quickly than we could alone. We plan to build thousands of homes in thriving new mixed tenure communities."

Nick Apetroaie, chief executive of Viridian, added: "Both organisations share similar values and goals which is a strong starting point for our discussions. Our cultural and geographical synergy will provide the opportunity to deliver even better services and more homes for people on a range of incomes while delivering operating efficiencies.

“We're really excited about the opportunity to use our combined expertise to make a lasting difference in the communities within which we work."