Agudas Israel Housing Association
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Agudas Israel Housing Association, also known by the acronym AIHA, was set up in 1981 as a campaign organisation to draw attention to the housing problems of the orthodox Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of North London, in the London Borough of Hackney.
Agudas Israel Housing Association was registered with the Housing Corporation in 1986 as a BME housing association with the purpose of providing housing for Orthodox Jews. Its activities extend to Haringey, Barnet and Salford as well as its base in Stamford Hill[1]. In 2007 it owned more than 500 residential units, many of which were developed with the support of funding from the Housing Corporation.
Agudas Israel’s activities include the provision of supported housing for people with special needs and large housing units for extended families. Its flagship project is Schonfeld Square, a mixed development which incorporates rented housing for families, sheltered accommodation for elderly members of the community and an old-age home.
It is also responsible for a number of specialist units. These include Beis Brucha, the only Jewish mother-and-baby home in the United Kingdom, located in Stamford Hill and managed by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
The association's developments in Salford include rental accommodation and the Beenstock Home for the aged.
AIHA publishes an annual report to its tenants called Botei Yisroel.
According to the Housing Corporation, Agudas Israel Housing Association "demonstrates a good performance by achieving or exceeding its annual targets, maintaining good progress against targets during the year and delivering quality housing that meets our standards"[2]. This includes meeting the Decent Homes Standard.
AIHA is a member of the Solomon Project, a group of six small housing associations dedicated to showing that "small associations can remain responsive to specific needs and client groups while also delivering service excellence at a competitive price".[3]
