Acquisition

RNS Number : 3670E

Civitas Social Housing PLC

05 May 2017

 

5 May 2017

CIVITAS SOCIAL HOUSING PLC

("Civitas" or the "Company")

£19.3m Acquisition of two Supported Living Portfolios

The Board of Civitas Social Housing PLC is pleased to announce the Company has completed the purchase of two portfolios of regulated social housing for a total consideration of £19.3 million, comprising the freehold interest in 19 supported living properties, with 98 tenancies. The portfolios are immediately income generating with initial net yields in line with the Company's expectations and both were sourced off-market by Civitas Housing Advisors Limited ("CHA"), the Company's Investment Manager.

Portfolio 1

Portfolio 1 was acquired for a total consideration of £2.6 million, comprising 15 tenancies, within 3 properties in the North West of England. Each of the properties within the portfolio is subject to a 25-year lease with a specialist Housing Association, Trinity Housing Association ("Trinity"), focused around supported living, with rents established by the relevant local authority and adjusted annually in line with inflation (CPI) over the full period. Trinity is a Registered Provider, regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency ("HCA") and a counterparty to leases within the Company's existing portfolios.

Portfolio 2

Portfolio 2 was acquired for a total consideration of £16.7 million, comprising 83 tenancies, within 16 properties in the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and Greater London. Each of the properties within the portfolio is subject to a 25-year lease with one of two specialist Housing Associations - Westmoreland and First Priority Housing Association ("First Priority") - focused around supported living, with rents established by the relevant local authority and adjusted annually in line with inflation (CPI) over the full period. Both Housing Associations are Registered Providers, regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency ("HCA") and are counterparties to leases within the Company's previous portfolios.

The properties in both portfolios have been adapted for use as specialist supported living homes for tenants with physical and/or mental disabilities or other care needs, and a care provider for each property is in place.

Both portfolios were funded through the Company's cash resources. In due course, it is intended that leverage will be applied in accordance with the Company's stated policy and it is expected that this will further enhance the yield achieved from this investment.

The social homes owned by Civitas are provided on a long-term basis to Housing Associations with a wide range of tenants who vary in age profile and in the level of support that each receives.

By acquiring these social homes, and working with Housing Associations, Civitas seeks for tenants to experience a stable, high-quality living environment that offers good visibility of tenure and further, the Company promotes "additionality" by the provision of new equity capital that has the potential to be redeployed in the delivery of new social homes.

Civitas targets the objective of delivering sustainable returns to its shareholders by making socially relevant investments within the regulated social housing sector in England and Wales.

Michael Wrobel, Chairman of Civitas, commented:

"With the acquisition of these portfolio of properties, Civitas has successfully deployed over £150 million of capital into the regulated social housing sector. This is very much in line with the strategy we set out at the time of the Company's IPO in November. As it currently stands, Civitas' overall portfolio comprises a diverse range of social housing across England and Wales."

 For further information, please contact:

Civitas Housing Advisors Limited

Paul Bridge                           Tel: [phone]

Andrew Dawber                   Tel: [phone]

Cenkos Securities PLC

Sapna Shah                           Tel: [phone]

Tom Scrivens                        Tel: [phone]

Pagefield

Philip Dennis                       Tel: [phone]

David Leslie                          Tel: [phone]

Notes:

Civitas Social Housing PLC is the first Real Estate Investment Trust offering pure play exposure to social housing in England and Wales.  The Company is managed by Civitas Housing Advisors Limited.  The Company is listed on the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and was admitted to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange in November 2016.

 

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