WATERLOO Housing Association has joined forces with Eastern Shires Housing Group to create one of the largest social landlords in the Midlands.

Waterloo Housing Association already manages more than 300 homes in the Wyre Forest district from its office in Kidderminster.

The new group, to be known as Waterloo Housing Group, will be the first to span the East and West Midlands, managing 16,000 homes.

With assets of £580 million, the group comprises Waterloo Housing Association, De Montfort Housing Society, Leicester Newarke Housing Association and New Linx Housing Trust.

The Midlands’ population is expected to grow by more than 780,000 households between 2006 and 2026 and the region’s housing waiting lists are among the fastest growing in the country.

The group will aim to develop 1,000 new affordable homes for rent and shared ownership each year.

David Pickering, group chief executive, said: “Waterloo will be the first Midlands housing group to have a strong presence across the region. We aim to raise the bar in terms of quality and quantity of affordable housing.”