News30.08.23by James RidingThe chief executive of Great Places Housing Group has been appointed as the new chair of a Sheffield-based housing association branded non-compliant by the English regulator in June.Matthew Harrison will take up the role in September (picture: South Yorkshire Housing Association)SharelinesThe chief executive of Great Places Housing Group has been appointed as the new chair of a Sheffield-based housing association branded non-compliant by the English regulator in June #UKhousing Matthew Harrison will become the chair of 6,000-home landlord South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) in September.
Mr Harrison has led Manchester-based Great Places since 2013 and has more than 30 years of executive-level experience in the housing sector. He has also worked as a non-executive director for organisations including Halton Housing, Cube Great Places and Sheffield Local Housing Company.
Born and raised in Sheffield, Mr Harrison has a strong network of relationships across South Yorkshire, SYHA said.
He is currently chair of the South Yorkshire Housing Partnership. In June, the Regulator of Social Housing downgraded SYHA from G2/V2 to G3/V3 – non-compliant ratings for both governance and financial viability – after the landlord admitted it had “miscalculated its covenant compliance” over a number of years.
In its last full-year to March 2022, SYHA reported a group surplus of £1.05m on turnover of £46.5m.
Larry Gold, chief executive of SYHA, said: “Matt brings an exceptional track record in the housing sector with over 30 years executive-level experience, as well as extensive experience as a non-executive director across a number of organisations.
“We had an outstanding calibre of candidates for the role, but were particularly impressed by the alignment between Matt’s previous experience and our current focus on improving the governance and financial resilience of SYHA. We look forward to him joining us in the autumn.” Mr Harrison said he was “truly delighted” to be joining SYHA, “an organisation which has had significant influence in the city of Sheffield and in South Yorkshire”.
He continued: “The legacy of SYHA and its future success are important to so many. It is a particular privilege to step into the role of chair at such an important point in the ongoing development of the organisation.
“SYHA has an excellent track record of commitment to customers, and I look forward to building on this and working with the board and Larry to put us in an excellent position to continue to deliver impact for customers and our region.”
John Jeffries, current chair of SYHA, said: “I know I speak on behalf of the whole board when I say that we are delighted that Matt is joining us as chair. He totally ‘gets’ SYHA, with its brilliant history, strong values and clear purpose. His wide knowledge and experience will be the perfect combination for us as we make progress with our future plans and ambitions.”
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