The first step towards what was to become Harvest Housing Group was the founding of the Manchester & District Housing Association (M&D) in 1963.  The association grew steadily through its first two decades.  Early developments included purpose-built blocks of flats in suburban areas of Manchester, Stockport and Trafford.  M&D also built some of the first sheltered housing in the North West.  With the shift in Government housing policy towards rehabilitation of older stock, M&D worked with local authorities in Tameside, Stockport, Trafford and Crewe & Nantwich to improve terraced housing in those areas in parallel with new-build schemes designed to meet specific housing needs.

During this period M&D joined forces with a number of small housing associations and co-operatives.  Joining M&D in 1978 was the North of England HA and Second North of England HA, and in 1988 Manchester Housing 1926 Limited and Trafford Housing Co-operative joined.

Eaves Brook Housing Association was established in Preston during the 1970’s.  Its initial objective was to provide sheltered housing for the elderly.  Eaves Brook went on to improve terraced housing in Preston and East Lancashire, to receive a transfer of housing from Central Lancashire New Town and to develop its reputation as a special needs provider in Lancashire.

In 1985 Manchester & District Housing Association underwent major restructuring.  Lady Joyce Montgomery became Chairman and Ian B Perry became Chief Executive.  New skills were brought into the staff team.  These changes meant that M&D was well placed to respond to the development and other opportunities emerging at the time of the 1988 Housing Act.

In the years before 1999, the Group grew significantly.  This included three major elements of growth where people chose to join the Group (in two cases by a ballot of tenants): -

  • the Warrington New Town stock transfer where 1,500 tenants (82%) voted in favour (1992),
  • the Eaves Brook merger where the Committee Members of Preston-based Eaves Brook HA chose M&D as their merger partner (1993), and
  • the Partington LSVT where 90% of tenants voted for transfer to Partington HA and the M&D Group (1996).

The Group also grew through being one of the major housing association developers in the North West.  For three consecutive years the Group’s investment in new schemes and major improvements in the region totalled over £15 million.

A further major step in the Group’s development was taken in April 1999 when M&D restructured to create Harvest Housing Group.

At the same time, Allerdale BC in Cumbria transferred the bulk of the council’s housing stock to a newly created part of the Harvest Housing Group, Derwent & Solway HA.  This included neighbourhoods in Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Wigton and Aspatria, together with scattered homes in the surrounding rural areas. This transfer was preceded by a ballot where 93% of tenants voted for the transfer to D&S.

In March 2003, the groundbreaking consortium to deliver the first LA housing PFI (private housing initiative) in Ardwick’s Plymouth Grove was launched.  Harvest brought together the team selected by residents and Manchester City Council.  Major physical change is needed but, with the thirty year PFI contract and the proposed managed village concept, Harvest and our partners – Nationwide together with Gleeson Regeneration and its subsidiary Powerminster – are confident of delivering a sustainable future for the area.

In April 2007 Moorlands Housing decided to join the Group bring into the Group 3,000 homes in Staffordshire.