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New appointment will be driven by social purpose at Unity Homes and Enterprise

Unity Homes and Enterprise has appointed Katherine Proctor as Director of Housing Operations.

She joins the Leeds-based BME housing association after nine years at Yorkshire Housing where she held a succession of senior positions including Head of Repairs and Investment, Head of Homeworks and Building Service Manager.

A graduate of the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, Ms Proctor is a former Chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Board.

In her new role, she will provide strategic direction for the delivery of Unity’s housing services including tenancy management, responsive repairs, planned and cyclical maintenance, estates services, customer services and rental income.

Established in 1987 and holding the highest gradings from the Regulator of Social Housing, Unity manages more than 1,350 properties for tenants in some of the most deprived and multicultural neighbourhoods in Leeds.

Alongside its role as a landlord and provider of housing services, the association helps people to set up and run their own businesses and access employment, training education opportunities.

Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, said: “Unity is making great progress in delivering a transformational Corporate Plan rooted in our social purpose which was recently reviewed.

“Being the best performing and a well-regarded landlord is at the top of our priority and Katherine will be at the heart of this work.

“She possesses all of the skills and experiences that are key to the role.

“We are excited to welcome her to the Senior Management Team.”

Katherine Proctor said: “I look forward to leading on the delivery of services that matter most to Unity customers and make a significant difference to people’s lives, particularly customers from the BME community who continue to face inequalities socio-economically and in housing provision.

“Unity has strong values and its social purpose demonstrates that the association cares about making a difference, mirroring my own values and purpose which really matter to me.

“It is clear that Unity has high ambitions for itself and the people whose needs it works so hard to address.

“Working with colleagues at every level of the organisation, I know we can achieve a lot together.”

Ms Proctor will take up the post in June.

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Picture Katherine Proctor who is joining Unity Homes and Enterprise as Director of Housing Operations   Unity Homes and Enterprise Unity Housing Association was formed in 1987 with the objective of building a strong, BME-led, community housing association to address the needs of black and minority ethnic communities in Leeds.  The initial focus was on Chapeltown, but this has widened to other areas of the city including Harehills, Beeston, Holbeck, Chapel Allerton and Pudsey.  Alongside two schemes in Huddersfield, a new affordable housing development has recently been completed in Cleckheaton.  With a turnover of £6.8 million and an annual investment in new and existing homes of around £6.5 million, Unity now manages over 1,350 properties for tenants from all communities and ethnic backgrounds. In 2000 the association established its not-for-profit subsidiary company, Unity Enterprise, to support local entrepreneurial activity.  It now provides 142 affordable business units for more than 80 diverse businesses across three centres in Leeds. Unity Employment Services (UES) was set-up in 2011 to support Unity tenants and their surrounding communities in accessing employment and training opportunities.  It has since supported more than 1,700 individuals into work and training.

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