Who we are

Harbour House with logo

Community Gateway Association is a not-for-profit community-based housing association set up to meet the housing needs of people in Preston and the surrounding area. We were the first housing association to be based on the Gateway Model, meaning we put tenants at the heart of all we do and involve them in decisions which affect them, their homes and communities. We are tenant-led, community-focussed and pride ourselves on delivering high-quality services.

The Gateway Model

Community Gateway is a mutual organisation formed for the benefit of the community and founded on the Gateway Model principles of mutuality, accountability and engagement. CGA is owned by the tenant and leaseholder members living in its Local Community Areas.

The primary objectives of the Gateway Model are:

  • To generate community pride and vision by providing opportunities for local tenants and community involvement in decisions about homes and neighbourhoods at a pace that's right for them and on issues that matter to them.
  • To establish a tenant democracy by enabling tenants to become members and owners of the organisation, and through that membership get involved in decision-making.
  • To generate a cultural change that brings colleagues and tenants together, where tenants lead and own the organisation, working in partnership with Gateway colleagues to deliver the quality and range of homes and neighbourhoods they want.

We are required to have Community Empowerment Strategy which sets out how we will secure the widest possible community involvement.

 

Our Story

On the 28th November 2005, we were created. Our tenants voted 'yes' to the transfer of their properties from Preston City Council to the newly created Community Gateway Association. This meant that a large-scale voluntary stock transfer tool place for the 6500 properties and signalled our beginning.

Our journey has been a real success story, and we are proud to have delivered on our transfer promises. Listening to the views of customer, we brought our PropertyCare team in-house in 2013, making improvements to how we deliver our repairs and maintenance service, as well as clearly offering better value for money for all. A year later, we did the same with our grounds maintenance service to help us make improvements to our local green spaces.

Our Services

We are passionate about creating vibrant, friendly and diverse communities where people want to live, work and play. We provide so much more than a roof for our tenants. Our services include:

  • Investing in improving the quality of homes 
  • Delivering a reliable and good-quality repairs and maintenance service 
  • Building new homes for affordable rent and shared ownership 
  • Ensuring neighbourhoods and green spaces are well maintained, clean and safe places to live 
  • Tackling anti-social behaviour and dealing with neighbourhood issues  
  • Providing tenancy advice and support 
  • Delivering a benefit support service to maximise the income of our tenants 
  • Providing a range of opportunities for tenants to have their say and get involved in shaping our services 
  • Support for community groups and local partners to deliver their services for the benefit of our tenants 
  • Dedicated support for older people to live independently in their own homes with activities to tackle social isolation and loneliness 
  • Access to a lifeline service with emergency monitoring and response for older people 
  • Extra Care Scheme for older people who want to live independently in their own home with access to an on-site 24-hour care package when it’s needed 
  • Dedicated support for those who find themselves homeless or at risk of becoming homeless 

We make sure that tenants influence they way we deliver our services, where we invest our money and shape our priorities. As a Community Gateway model organisation, our tenants are at the heart of all we do.