Residential Secure Income plc (ReSI) has exchanged contracts for €32m (£29m) to acquire up to 85 newly completed homes for delivery as shared ownership. The properties are being acquired from Brick By Brick, the housing development company set up to deliver a large programme of high quality and affordable homes for local people across the London Borough of Croydon.
The portfolio consists of one, two and three-bedroom apartments in new developments in Upper Norwood, Thornton Heath and South Croydon in South London, designed by outstanding architects, including RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Mikhail Riches. The homes have been developed to a high specification, with timber parquet flooring, Silestone worktops, Bosch appliances and private balconies. The homes meet or exceed ReSI’s sustainability criteria and include secure cycle storage, solar energy, electric vehicle charging points, and have an energy efficiency Environmental Performance Certificate rating of B or higher.
Ben Fry, investment manager of ReSI Capital Management and head of housing at Gresham House, said: “We are delighted to help Brick By Brick increase its delivery of affordable homes while generating a return for the London Borough of Croydon. These homes exemplify the sort of high-quality assets we seek, delivering value and housing security to first-time homeowners, and meeting the pressing housing needs of London and the rest of the UK. We see this as the start of a long-term partnership with Brick By Brick to facilitate its delivery of much needed affordable homes. This investment further diversifies our portfolio and is a key step to reaching full dividend cover by the beginning of October 2021. We look forward to updating shareholders on further progress in 2021."
Colm Lacey, Chief Executive at Brick By Brick added: “Brick By Brick’s partnership with ReSI will help us to realise the delivery of high-quality and affordable housing in Croydon and accelerate the returns we provide to our shareholder Croydon Council. ReSI’s approach means we are transacting with a registered provider of social housing that delivers best-in-class shared ownership and provides long-term housing security for Croydon’s residents.”
