Following the meeting, Jim Cargill and Ritchie Johnson were re-elected by the board as the chair and vice chair for a second year.

Jim Cargill, chair, said: “It has been a rewarding first year as chair during the year we are celebrating Grampian’s 50th anniversary, five decades of building homes and creating communities.

“I am particularly proud that our staff have shown continued commitment to put people at the heart of our social rented housing service. Our focus is on providing safe, affordable, and sustainable homes that strengthen communities and support the wellbeing of those who live in them.”

In 1975, Grampian Housing Association was developed from a co-ownership housing society and built its first 31 properties for rent the following year in Fraserburgh. Later this year the Association will complete its 4000th new build property and now serves over 4,000 households throughout the north east of Scotland.

Receiving the annual report, members heard about the Association’s success in people excellence with one-star status awarded by Best Companies. This was in recognition of high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

Through its customer experience initiative, The Grampian Deal, improvements in overall tenant satisfaction and reductions in re-let times for voids to under 23 days and gross rent arrears to 4.18% were also reported.

During the year, commUNITY roadshows were held with staff giving back to Grampian’s communities, while local charities benefitted from a £11,900 share in a community benefit clause from a contract to install a zero-emission heating project.

On the Association’s net zero journey, through a government initiative, ECO4 funding of almost £900,000 is being used to roll out energy efficiency upgrades in electrically heated homes across the North-East. By the end of the year 165 solar PV systems will also have been installed. Tenant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with some households reporting up to a 60% reduction in electricity bills during peak summer months.

Grampian is the first housing association in the UK to partner with Voltalis. Tenants in electrically heated properties are also benefitting from savings of up to 15% through the installation of Voltalis technology.

In recognition of the Association’s commitment to environmental improvements, it retained Silver accreditation with the SHIFT sustainability standard.

A number of new properties were built during the year, with 50 units added to the Association’s property portfolio in Aberdeenshire at Inverurie, Kemnay, Tarves and Oldmedrum and at Elgin in Moray.

Over the year, the Association again increased capital investment in its properties through major repairs and improvements. This included new roofs, bathrooms, kitchens, boilers, full heating systems as well as insulation replacements.

The annual accounts were also presented and provided insights into the Association’s financial standing at year-end, with stable cash balances, reassuring members of its fiscal robustness.