In 1988, a number of individuals, active in community matters, met to set up Tuntum Housing Association as a non-profit-making social business to provide housing and support services for people on low incomes, primarily from Nottingham’s black and minority ethnic (BME) population.

Today Tuntum has become one of Nottingham’s fastest growing and innovative housing associations, with over 1000 homes in management and development, located in seven local authority areas including the cities of Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. Tuntum also employs over 80 staff, 75% of whom come from BME communities.

 

The strength of Tuntum lies in the diversity of the services it provides and its commitment to remaining independent within a framework of mutually beneficial partnership working. A sense of community pride, combined with a ‘can do’ approach to new ideas has been the hallmark of Tuntum’s success to date. For example, Tuntum is the only BME housing association directly developing its own homes in the Midlands and in the process has transferred a number of homes in Leicester to fellow BME housing association Foundation H.A.s.

 

Tuntum is a Registered Social Landlord, which is registered with the Housing Corporation, a government body. Tuntum has two main sources of income – grants in the form of capital subsidy and rents. We build properties with these grants from the Housing Corporation and borrow money from banks and building societies to make up the costs not covered by the grants. The rent paid by tenants is used to repair buildings, pay for our management administration costs and to pay back the loans used for building. We are a non-profit-making organisation.

 

Tuntum is not just about providing quality housing. It really cares about its local community and was awarded two community awards for its work with the evacuees from Montserrat and for reviving the annual Caribbean Carnival in Nottingham, an event that attracts over 60,000 people. On the international front, Tuntum has raised over £10,000 for housing projects throughout the Caribbean.

The economic impact to the local community of Tuntum's activities is also important - over 50% of Tuntum's expenditure on property repairs is spent with local BME contractors and Tuntum has provided training to a number of previously unemployed people, in partnership with PATRA (Positive Action Training & Recruitment Agency) East Midlands and New Deal. At least six of these trainees gained permanent jobs with Tuntum following their training.