New one-stop shop for tenants

Residents of Aashyana Housing Association, which specialises in improving the quality of housing for black and minority ethnic groups, and William Sutton Homes, will now be able to get housing and benefit advice all under one roof.

The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Christopher Davies, attended the grand opening of the new Pritchard Street office, in St Pauls, and was joined by Abdul Wahab, chairman of Aashyana’s board and Keith Exford, chief executive of parent company Affinity Sutton.

Along with being the main point of contact for residents the new office, which will open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, will also provide a community outreach service focused on helping Asian people and the wider community solve their housing problems through free confidential advice and help.

The office will also provide a base for the Affinity Sutton regional development team – which will work to identify suitable sites for affordable housing in the city some of  which will be specifically designed and geographically relevant to the housing needs of the black and Asian communities in Bristol.

Simon Balchin, area housing manager for Bristol, said: “By bringing our teams together under one roof we can offer a much better service to our residents.

“We now have one base in the city, which is easy for visitors to access and where they can get help and advice on a wide range of issues, including help with their tenancy or advice on making the most of their money.

“We look forward to meeting residents at the new office and continuing to work closely with them.”