History and Present Day
New World is the largest Vietnamese Housing Association in the UK. The Association was founded in 1985 by members of the Vietnamese community in response to poor housing conditions and lack of housing opportunities. Set up originally as a co-operative, the Association originally concentrated on managing short life accommodation for Vietnamese families. The Association registered with the Housing Corporation in 1992 and moved into managing properties it owed from this date.

The Association now owns around 250 homes across five south London boroughs – Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Greenwich and Wandsworth.

The Association is a registered Friendly Society operating under charitable model rules of the National Housing Federation.

The current year sees the association with a healthy balance sheet and fixed assets of over £17 million. The Association is now in a position to continue to grow through development partnerships with other associations.

The Association is looking to grow at a steady rate in the next financial year through arrangements and development agreements with other associations. It is a clear intention of the association to develop further properties through partnership throughout the term of this business plan.

In 2003 the Association completed a comprehensive stock condition survey of its properties and intends to deliver a major programme of reinvestment in its own stock over the coming five years. The survey carried out in 2003 highlighted the generally good condition of New World’s properties and was updated in 2006.

New World won awards in 2004 for its work in helping set up a parents and toddlers group at one of its schemes.

In early 2005 the Association published its last research project – Investigating The Needs And Aspirations Of Vietnamese Communities In London – in conjunction with De Montford University and supported in part through a grant from the Housing Corporation.