Circle Voluntary Housing Association: New horizons

From humble beginnings, Circle Voluntary Housing has been a stalwart in the provision of housing. Circle VHA is a Tier 3 Housing Association, and across its housing management and estate management services, presently manages more than 1,700 homes.

At the centre of Circle is its tenants. A building is just property but a home is so much more, this belief of Circle staff is exhibited in the award presented by The Chartered Institute of Housing aptly titled “More Than Bricks and Mortar” which Circle VHA was presented with in February 2018. Circle staff strive continuously to ensure its tenants and future tenants currently on local authority housing lists are provided with high quality housing that will be homes to them, in communities that they can settle and become immersed in. The development of communities is integral in ensuring that people feel involved in where they live and that their needs are reflected in their environment. The staff of Circle are innovative in their approach from development stage right through to ongoing tenancy participation programmes actively encouraging a community focus.

Measurable benefits for tenants and a community as a whole ensure possibilities in overcoming social problems, the staff of Circle VHA believe in the core values of the organisation which leads to respectful and transparent partnerships that have benefited all.

Since its foundation 15 years ago, Circle Voluntary Housing Association (VHA) has accommodated people in need of homes in the Greater Dublin Area. Circle VHA delivers exceptional customer service to all stakeholders, and its tenant satisfaction ratings have been consistently more than 90 per cent for the last 10 years.

Circle currently operates in the Dublin and Kildare areas and intends on expanding its operational housing provision beyond these areas. Circle staff are actively seeking to make further strategic partnerships and advance initiatives with all local authorities and housing providers, through portfolio acquisition, turnkey development from housing providers, sites with direct development potential, new and unfinished homes disposals, Part V strategic partnerships with housing providers, and strategic partnerships with Tier 1 and 2 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). In addition, the organisation is seeking strategic partnerships with housing providers under the Enhanced Long-Term Social Housing Leasing initiative.

Circle uniquely offers an Estate Management Service to not only local authorities and developers but to Owner Management Companies (OMC’s). Circle VHA is a licensed property services provider with the PSRA (License number 002408) and will act as a management agent. Circle VHA has in-house expertise in providing management agent services including company secretary, property and facilities management, service charge collection, insurance management and owner/resident liaison.

Eva Moraliyska, Intern Development Officer, John Mulhall, Senior Development Officer, Caitríona Slane, Development Officer, and Pat Costello, Head of Development

Circle in the last six months has, under the direction of its new CEO, John Hannigan who has been involved in the housing sector for many years, committed to extending their unique brand across more counties of Ireland. In order to support the delivery of the Rebuilding Ireland Programme, Circle intends to deliver an additional 1,100 homes by the end of 2020. The attention to detail that Circle exhibits will ensure that all projects undertaken can benefit from its people first approach.

John, with the support of an innovative and progressive Board, has been instrumental in taking the steps required by Circle in order to actively position themselves to support fully the delivery of the Rebuilding Ireland Programme. Pat Costelloe as the Head of Development supported by his colleagues in the senior management team have instigated a programme of recruitment in order to expand the department to achieve the growth envisioned. The team assembled are a multi-disciplinary team of housing and property professionals, who have many years’ experience in the delivery of social housing and other commercial developments through various mechanisms and funding streams. The team will assist with the delivery of an additional 1,100 homes by the end of 2020. They are focused on the values of the organisation with a clear vison, a dynamic attitude and an agenda firmly focused on addressing the housing crisis within all counties by turning opportunity into homes for the people of Ireland.

Development team

Pat Costelloe, Head of Development, has a 25-year career in construction and property. He previously worked as Group Property Manager for the Rehab Group and as Development Manager, and a Director with NewGrove Housing Association Ltd. He has extensive project development, acquisition and leasing experience, along with portfolio management experience. A chartered surveyor by profession he is a member of the SCSI and RICS.

Colm Lundy, Senior Team Lead, has over 25 years’ experience in the Irish real estate market. He has a proven track record of delivery in the development sector having previously led the entry of German retail multiple Lidl’s expansion into Ireland overseeing a €750 million capital spend in the process. A chartered surveyor by profession he’s a member of the SCSI and RICS.

John Mulhall, Senior Officer, has over six years’ experience in the delivery of social housing. He has previously worked for Oaklee Housing and brings a wide range of knowledge on the acquisition and construction of developments using the Capital Advance Leasing Facility, Capital Assistance Scheme and Long Term Leasing.

Caitríona Slane, Officer, holds an MSc in Planning and Property Development and previously worked in Western Australia in the planning and surveying sector. Prior to joining the Circle VHA team in August 2017, she worked with Clanmil Housing in Belfast as Development Officer.

David Linehan, Officer, has a background in estate agency/ auctioneering, having worked as a senior sales/letting negotiator for a number of years within Dublin and countrywide. David has extensive knowledge of the Dublin and North Kildare property market; he was previously employed by O’Dwyer English Auctioneers, and holds IPAV membership with a full PSRA license.

Eva Moraliyska, Team Intern, has diverse real estate and project management experience, gained in Bulgaria. Previously she managed her own real estate company for nine years and worked in large-scale real estate development and project management for three years.

For more information visit www.circlevha.ie;
email developmentteam@circlevha.ie
or you can speak to one of the team at 
01 407 2110.
Follow us on twitter @CircleVHA.