Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association was formed in 1979. Prior to this, we were part of Hanover Housing Association which still operates in England today as Anchor Hanover.
The original Hanover Housing Association was founded in 1963, when the National Corporation for the Care of Old People (subsequently The Centre for Policy on Ageing), concerned by the urgent need for purpose built housing for the elderly, sponsored the formation of Hanover Housing Association. It was the first national organisation of its kind.
Two of the first schemes built by the Association were in Scotland, at Drymen and New Scone. They represented the first ever sheltered accommodation provided by a housing association in Scotland.
However, the difficulties of communication led to a pause in Scottish developments until a decision was taken in the early seventies to pursue an active programme with a view to opening a Scottish Regional Office. This office was opened on Hanover Street in Edinburgh in 1976.
‘We collected around us a number of very distinguished Scots and have gradually taken over the controls from our parent at Egham.’
Rt Hon Lord Glenkinglas, 1980
In 1978, the organisation moved to larger premises on Albany Street in Edinburgh and on 1 April 1979, Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association came into being.
The aim of the original Hanover Housing Association was to;
“provide specialised housing for the elderly who wish to continue to lead an active independent life”.
From the start Hanover participated as a partner in urban renewal, helping to regenerate council housing estates around Glasgow including Castlemilk, Drumchapel and Nitshill. In the early 1990s it was the first housing association to be active in the redevelopment of Glasgow’s Gorbals.
Hanover may also have been the first housing association in Scotland to use design and build, in its Auchinairn Road development in Bishopbriggs.
Since then, the organisation has gone from strength to strength. In 2019, we merged with Arklet Housing Association and celebrated our 40th anniversary.
