Do we make housing too complicated? Do we focus more on the process than the outcome and the impact? At Livv Housing Group, they’re focusing on simple messages and simple targets. In this episode, we speak with the CEO, Leann Hearne, about their mission, the impacts they’ve made and the journey Leann has been on with the group.
Livv Housing Group is a local business at heart, with thirteen thousand homes around the Knowsley Borough and just over 500 employees. Leann shares with us her experiences at the helm for 5 years, and her story of transitioning from engineering into housing.
Leann shares details about the £181 million they’ve invested into the community. Social impact is foundational to Leann’s mission, particularly with Knowsley being one of the most deprived areas of the UK.
We get the lowdown on the rebranding to Livv Housing and discover how the organisation made the process a collaborative effort across the company. Leann speaks on Livv Housing’s corporate plan and the focus on making it memorable across the whole organisation.
We also speak about customer service and why other housing associations aren’t the benchmark. Leann also gives insights into how Livv Housing is keeping ahead of the curve with zero carbon and how we can get more young people into the industry.
In this episode, we cover:
- The key differences Leann found when moving out of the private sector and into a housing association
- The rebranding of First Ark Group to Livv Housing Group
- Writing an effective corporate plan that’s memorable for the whole organisation
- What should we be investing in to stop hampering the sector?
- The Men vs Food project that Livv Housing was involved in
- How Livv Housing is breaking the barriers of the class divide
- Why Livv Housing is putting a focus on shared ownership and rent-to-buy
- The partnership with NatWest to build 1700 new homes
- How do we get more young people into the industry?
- Hopes for the future of Livv Housing and the sector