Inside Housing – News – Former Citizen COO appointed as South East housing association chairman

News03/07/248:00 in the morning by James Riding

Citizen’s former chief operating officer has been named president of the property leasing company in the southeast of the country.

Kate Still named chair of Thrive Homes board (photo: Thrive Homes)

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Former Citizen COO appointed chairman of South East housing association #UKhousing

Former Citizen COO appointed as chairman of South East housing firm #UKhousing

Kate Still has been appointed chair of the board of Thrive Homes, which owns 5,500 homes across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Ms Still has over 15 years of experience working for government, housing associations and private developers.

From 2020-2021 she was Group Operations Director of Castleoak, property developer Later Living, and from 2017-2020 she was Operations Director at Citizen.

Previously, Ms Still spent six years at housing association Sanctuary, where she rose to become national director of housing operations for England.

She has also held positions at the South East England Development Agency and the London Borough of Hounslow, and advised the board of the Homes and Communities Agency on economic inequality in housing policy.

Ms Still grew up on the Highfield Estate in Hemel Hempstead and lived in social housing for 25 years, which she said allowed her to maintain a tenant-focused perspective throughout her career.

She completed an MSc in City and Regional Planning at the London School of Economics, where she focused her research on the impact of social housing on mental health and educational outcomes.

As Chair, Ms Still will lead the Thrive Homes Board and Chairs Group, helping the housing association improve housing availability and affordability across the South East of England.

Ms Still said she would “delight in the challenge of helping the organisation deliver on its mission to improve access to affordable housing in the most inaccessible parts of the UK”.

She added, “Thrive Homes is known for its commitment to quality and innovation – and it was the organization’s product transparency, community involvement and vision for the future that made me want to take on this role.

“High-quality homes are the foundation for good lives and successful families, and I look forward to supporting the organization as it continues to develop and grow.”

Elspeth Mackenzie, CEO of Thrive Homes, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kate as our new Chair. Her career history speaks for itself and her combination of professional expertise and life experience means she is a great addition to the Thrive Board.”

Earlier this month, the former chairman of a Belfast-based housing association was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Joy Scott, who was Chair of Clanmil Housing Group from 2018-2021, has been awarded the award for services to social housing in Northern Ireland.

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