A HOUSING association with schemes across Keighley and Bradford is celebrating hugely-improved performance ratings.

The chief executive of Manningham Housing Association (MHA), Lee Bloomfield, heralds the improvement as the start of a "bright new future" for the organisation and its tenants.

MHA – founded more than three decades ago – manages over 1,400 affordable homes for families, the elderly and needy in the district.

Following an assessment in late 2016, its financial viability and governance ratings were downgraded by the Regulator of Social Housing.

Governance dropped to so-called 'non-compliant G3', and MHA entered into a voluntary undertaking with the regulatory body to bring about change.

Several new appointments were made and board members recruited as part of the restructuring.

Now the association's governance rating has been raised to G2 and its financial viability back to the highest-possible level.

Mr Bloomfield, who took-up his post a year ago as part of the changes, said he was delighted with the improvement.

"Being a non-compliant organisation is not a good place to be," he added.

"Registered providers must have the confidence of the regulator and our funders, and being downgraded to non-compliant puts a cloud over this.

"I'm delighted that the brave and ambitious changes made have been acknowledged.

"I am confident that these well-earned results signal the start of a bright new future for MHA and our tenants.

"We are already focused on the next in-depth assessment and our goal of achieving the top governance rating."

Other new appointments have included Barrington Billings as chairman and Helen Rourke as director of finance.

Mr Billings described the upgraded ratings as "a great outcome" for MHA.

"It has placed us back on track to where we need to be," he said.

"We have worked extremely hard over the last two years to deliver governance improvements and embed cultural change across the organisation.

"This result is testament to the board, staff and our tenants who have been on this journey with us.

"We have a new corporate strategy which gives us clear direction and sees us investing our resources into the communities we serve."

Keighley West councillor Cath Bacon, who chairs the MHA customer panel, said tenants had been given regular progress reports and were supportive of the organisation.

She added that frontline services to customers had not been adversely affected.

MHA was founded in 1986 after research showed that the housing needs of black and Asian communities in Bradford district were not being addressed.

Over 80 per cent of the association's 6,000-plus residents are of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin, but its provision is for all those in need.

The organisation has a 32-strong workforce and an annual turnover of £8.5 million.