HCHA is a small, innovative and growing housing association providing housing people in West London and the South East. We specialise in providing high quality lifetime homes for older people and in providing much needed affordable housing for others when opportunities arise. We provide:

• Extra care;
• Sheltered housing;
• Homes for people with life limiting chronic conditions and physical disabilities;
• Housing for those who need affordable homes many of whom were homeless or in high priority housing need;
• Single homeless people;
• Rent to buy properties.

Our Values

We started out in 1964 set up by the members of local churches who got together to do something practical to change the living conditions of elderly people in Harrow. That ethos continues to drive our social mission and values today. We are proud of our past and we aim to continue to provide more homes for more people in the future. We may be small but HCHA is an ambitious organisation that is also strongly committed to delivering the best value for money for both tenants and the public purse. The values that underpin HCHA’s work and development are:

1. To be independent and locally accountable to the communities we serve across London and the Home Counties;
2. To be the housing provider of choice for the people we serve;
3. To provide homes and services for the communities we serve;

– for older people providing homes for life

– for others where our skills and experience can meet their needs

4. To commit to sustainable growth and partnerships.

History timeline

The bitter winter of 1962/3 sparked concerns amongst the members of Harrow churches about the need for better housing for vulnerable elderly people in the community.

An appeal for donations was launched in July 1963 under the title ‘A Home of Their Own’.

1964	April, Harrow Baptist Housing Association was incorporated
1965	The Association purchases its first property, which is converted to 4 flats and a parcel of land.
1967	10 purpose built bungalows are completed on the land in Becket Fold
1969	Wolstenholme, sheltered scheme is opened, 33 flats
1973	Gillian House, sheltered scheme opens, 35 flats
1974	Prince Charles inaugurates Richards Close, sheltered scheme, 54 flats
1979	Paxfold House, sheltered scheme opens, 47 flats
1987	St Barnabus, sheltered scheme opens, 36 flats
1996	Young Persons\’ Scheme shared housing project begins
2007	Street Properties projects begins for people living with HIV
2009	Demolition of Richards Close and construction of Ewart House, Award winning extra care scheme, 47 units
2011	General needs housing for families begins in Hillingdon & Harrow Dashwood Court, Hounslow, acquired by HCHA, 37 flats
2014	HCHA celebrates its 50th Anniversary
2015	Paxfold redevelopment 28 new one bedroom flats. Merger with Harlington Rectory Housing Association 25 units for over 55s and 29 general needs homes.
2017	Partnership with Rentplus in an innovative rent-to-buy scheme of ten new 2 bed flats for families in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
2019	8 houses purchased in Wycombe for homeless families. Won the contract to build 78 new homes (58 units for HCHA on the site, and 20 units for Octavia Housing) on the Watkins House and the Sea Cadet site in Harrow, began demolition at the end of March 2019.
2020	Building works started on the old Watkins House site in Harrow in January 2020. The new development – Windridge Court – will open in early 2022.

HCHA provides homes to people in West London and the South East.