THFC welcomes Acis to bLEND pool with new £20m funding deal

The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC) is pleased to have agreed the lending of £20m to Acis Group through bLEND, which will support the housing provider’s wider growth ambitions.

The new loan agreement between Acis Group and THFC represents a new milestone for its bLEND portfolio, with the total number of borrowers now at 33. The agreement enables Acis to draw up to £20m at a future date.

Acis Group was established in 1999 and owns and manages over 7,700 affordable homes in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire & Humberside, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire, including over 1,000 student homes in Sheffield and Nottingham. Acis has been an active developer over the last decade and intends to continue pursuing measured development plans to provide much needed affordable housing in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber.

Speaking about the deal, Adrian Chamberlain, Finance Director at Acis, said: “We are delighted to be working with THFC/bLEND for the first time on this loan agreement. We provide affordable homes and a range of community services across the Midlands, South Yorkshire, and Humberside and we share THFC’s vision of providing sustainable communities.  The loan agreement with bLEND will allow us to expand our impact on the affordable housing sector further. We are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families across our communities and this new loan will help us to achieve this.”

Gavin Richards, THFC’s Relationship Manager who helped facilitate the deal, said: “It is wonderful to welcome Acis as a new customer to THFC, with the loan from bLEND enabling them to support their local communities through continued development of new homes and improvement of their existing accommodation. I look forward to building on this new relationship and working with Acis in the coming years.”

Arun Poobalasingam, THFC’s Funding and Marketing Director, said: “Once again, we are delighted to support a housing association in their development ambitions and welcome them to the bLEND pool. In this case, when we visited Acis, we witnessed first-hand their strong leadership team and the social impact their work will bring to the many communities they serve.”

Notes to editors:

About THFC

THFC has been the UK’s leading affordable housing aggregator for more than three decades, providing innovative funding solutions for over 160 housing associations across all four nations of the UK. THFC has amassed a loan book of over £8.2bn to date and continues to expand its range of financial products to serve the needs of the social housing sector. THFC has made significant contributions toward solving the UK’s affordable housing crisis, having funded 32,000+ homes under Affordable Housing Finance plc, which oversaw the government’s initial Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme. The aggregator launched bLEND, a direct subsidiary, in 2018 and unveiled THFC Sustainable Finance (TSF), a £2bn sustainable finance vehicle, in 2023.

About Acis Group

Acis Group is a housing charity that helps people and communities in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and South Yorkshire. We have more than 7,000 homes that people can rent, buy, or part-own. Our homes are in cities, towns, and rural locations. We strive to build new homes every year to make sure we can help more people and provide better services.

In 2022, we welcomed CLIP to our family. CLIP helps people find jobs, learn new skills, and get qualifications in areas of Lincolnshire. They help more than 2,000 people with skills, qualifications and wellbeing support every year. Riverside Training is also part of our group. They offer training, qualifications, and support to help people do well in their jobs and careers.

We also have 1,100 homes for students in cities like Sheffield and Nottingham. These apartments are in The Trigon and Raleigh Park, which are safe, modern, and perfect for students living. We believe in doing more than just providing homes. We help people learn new things, become more independent, and support them when they need us. We aim to make a real difference in people’s lives across the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber.

For more information, please contact:

Danielle Hughes, ESG Strategy and Communications Manager at THFC – danielle.hughes@thfcorp.com