About Us

ABOUT US

OUR STORY

If we look back to the 1970’s and compare the state of homelessness in Portsmouth with how it looks today, it’s frustrating to see the problems might look a little different, but they’re still very much alive. 

Our story starts in 1973 when a group of activists first worked together to form Portsmouth Housing Association. They were individuals who shared a passion and commitment to address the root causes of homelessness – the provision of affordable homes. Revd Bill Sargent was the chair of this group and became an inspirational person in the area, encouraging and enthusing others with a commitment to turn words into actions. 

These individuals became an association founded on social justice and commitment to those it sought to serve. It made big strides in providing housing for those in need in the city, and was part of a country-wide crusade to provide homes in a changing world. 

Since the late 1970's, the role of public social housing has steadily changed. Councils have sold stock under RTB (Right to Buy) and new social housing is now almost entirely developed and managed by national registered providers, supported by a mixture of public and private finance. Many of these housing associations have taken wholesale stock transfers from Councils. 
And yet this large social housing sector simply has not achieved enough. The growing demand and need for affordable housing continues as does the number of families and individuals who are ‘homeless’. There are Portsmouth families in temporary B&B accommodation, some having to live far outside the city, when they need a safe, permanent dwelling in their home city.

Now, thankfully, things are coming full circle. Across the country a whole new generation of Community Land Trusts is being founded, and we are proud to be part of this movement once again.

A number of individuals in the city have come together to form the Portsmouth Community Housing Trust (PCHT). Many of them have a link to that initial group of activists that came together in 1973. They share that same passion and commitment to address the root causes of homelessness and so seek to help increase the provision of affordable homes. Once again they are drawn together to form a group which is founded on social justice and commitment to those it seeks to serve. We hope that others will share this commitment and join us in seeking to serve those in need in our community.

OUR MISSION

Everyone deserves a place they can rely on; a safe foundation on which to build a good life. 

PCHT’s mission is to take ownership or management of property or land to provide accommodation towards meeting local unmet priority housing need, .i.e. for people who are unable to meet their housing need through the market.

PCHT will achieve this through:
✔︎ Establishing a dedicated body, constituted with the ability to receive asset transfers and hold them for community benefit, and with the capability to manage such properties;
✔︎ Working in partnership with public and other bodies
✔︎ A governance structure that is both accountable and responsive to the community as well as harnessing active voluntary engagement. This will involve a structure offering membership to local organisations working with housing and homelessness.
✔︎ Unlocking finance, of all forms, and other resources that the current public owners do not have access to or the capacity to take on.
✔︎ Accepting nominations from local authority housing, not just responding to street homelessness but for the range of housing needs and, including responding to the unmet demand for large family accommodation.
✔︎ Developing the capability to manage assets in ‘meanwhile’ use.
✔︎ Providing accommodation that will always be genuinely affordable through sub-market rents
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TRUSTEES & ADVISERS

Rev. Canon Bob White

Board Chair & Anglican Priest
Bob White grew up in Portsmouth and has been an Anglican Priest for nearly 30 years. 

He is currently the Vicar of St Mary’s Church in Fratton. He has an active interest in the life of the local community and in seeking to support those who serve the needs of those who live within it. He also has a wider responsibility in the Diocese for Urban Ministry and is the Church Urban Fund Officer. He has a long experience of working as a Trustee of a variety of local Charities and served for some time as a member of the Board of Portsmouth Housing Association. 

He currently chairs the Fratton Big Local Partnership and the Churches Homeless Action Group. This Group seeks to keep homelessness issues on the Church’s agenda and each year raises significant sums of money in a Christmas Appeal – one of the major recipients of which is the Roberts Centre.

Carole Damper 

Board Member & Chief Executive Officer of The Roberts Centre
Carole has been the Chief Executive Officer of The Roberts Centre in Portsmouth for the past 23 years. 

Prior to joining the Roberts Centre, Carole spent 10 years as Manager of a charity in Chichester, supporting homeless men by providing a 365 night / year Direct Access Shelter, day centre and resettlement service 

In 2006 Carole worked with the Respect Task Force at the Home Office designing and delivering workshops at Respect Academies around the country on the subject of working with the most challenging families. 
In 2007 Carole was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Portsmouth in recognition of her contribution to support homeless and distressed people in the city and the work which she has led at the Roberts Centre which is dedicated to supporting disadvantaged families.
In 2014 Carole was awarded an M.B.E. in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. This comes with the citation for: EC Roberts Centre work with Children and Families.

Mark Waldron

Board Member & News Editor
Mark has been Editor of The News in Portsmouth since September 2007. The News is the biggest selling newspaper on the south coast, complemented by its website at portsmouth.co.uk

Previously Mark was editor of the Swindon Advertiser, with a career which has also taken in Aldershot News and Mail, Sunday Sun (Melbourne), Hull Daily Mail and the South Wales Echo in Cardiff.

However, Mark grew up in Horndean and started his career after studying journalism at Highbury College.

Denise Rajchel

Board Member & Former Housing Association CEO
Denise’s career in housing started with Portsmouth City Council in their Leigh Park office as a housing officer. Since then she has worked for a local voluntary transfer housing association, a large national housing organisation and for 15 years was the CEO of PHA Homes based in Petersfield
 
Denise is passionate about helping disadvantaged people and those experiencing homelessness.

During her career she has held a number of voluntary roles including a Board member of a local domestic abuse organisation and another local organisation supporting the victims of stalking.

Mark Singleton

Board Member & Surveyor
Mark gained over 40 years experience in social housing during his career in architecture and building surveying. He worked for Portsmouth and East Hants Councils on refurbishments before spending 22 years at Portsmouth Housing Association dealing with refurbishing existing properties, conversions and small new build schemes, plus working with a number of local community organisations and groups.

After a couple of years with a local building contractor, Mark joined The Welling Partnership of chartered surveyors, working for many housing associations across the whole of the south and the greater London area. As an employers agent this meant administering new build developments from start on site to completion and handover, providing the key operational link between the contractor and the association as client.

Mark is keen to explore all opportunities to re-use existing buildings, whether by conversion or refurbishment, as well as consider new build schemes where land may be available that can help to reduce the shortage of suitable housing in Portsmouth.

Alison Smart

Adviser & Housing Business Partner
Alison works for Portsmouth City Council as the Housing Business Partner She has worked in local authority housing for over 30 years. 

Alison’s role is the delivery and management of the supported housing portfolio. This portfolio has within it independent self-contained properties and shared properties for adults with learning disabilities, mental health and physical disabilities plus the woman's refuge.

Alison advises the PCHT Board on the type of housing the group are looking to provide, whether it’s suitable, sustainable and achieves the outcome of PCHTs mission. She is very experienced in securing funding from Homes England to deliver these affordable homes.

Jennifer Bennett

Adviser
Jennifer was educated in Portsmouth, and until her retirement in 2021, was a nationally recognised social housing solicitor.

Her career in housing began with Portsmouth Housing Association, when it was first based in All Saints Church in Commercial Road Portsmouth, and led to a practice advising over 150 Housing providers across England and Wales.

During her 30 plus years in the sector she has held a number of voluntary roles including a Non Executive Director of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, an Independent Member of Winchester City Council Standards Committee, a Non Executive Director of Portsmouth based Parity Trust which provides loan finance for community based projects and a Trustee of the Roberts Centre, a registered charity providing housing and support to families and children in Portsmouth. She is also a Board Member of Stonewater Housing.

Andrew Mason

Company Secretary & Project Manager
Andrew is a freelance consultant working for voluntary organisations and community groups. This currently includes work for Local Trust, advising a number of ‘Big Local’ community partnerships.

Andrew headed the community regeneration and resident involvement teams at First Wessex housing association until it merged to become Vivid. Prior to this he held senior management roles at Portsmouth Housing Association.  

Andrew has stepped down as a voting Board Member, and is now engaged to provide project management support to the Board.

HELPING FAMILIES & INDIVIDUALS TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO STAY

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