The 2019-2024 programme will see £411m improving up to 20,000 homes, upgrading roofs, kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors and energy efficient boilers. Nearly £400m will be used to build 3,000 affordable and shared ownership homes, including £58m to build 700 new independent living places for people with specialist needs.

A further £59m will be allocated to build 298 market sale homes, with profit reinvested back into its social purposes. The balance will be ploughed into 300 apprenticeship for local people.

Ian Wardle, chief executive at Thirteen said “Our customers are at the heart of what we do. Two of our top priorities are delivering quality places to live and a great customer experience. In the past year alone, we have invested £31m into improving our neighbourhoods, £29m into developing new homes and carried out over 150,000 repairs as part of an ongoing programme.

“We will now deliver a £1bn investment over the next five years to improve our customer’s homes, their local neighbourhoods and their services, as well as delivering new affordable homes.”

The housing association bought Hartlepool-based building contractor Gus Robinson Developments to help with housing delivery at the end of last year. The £25m turnover north east builder employs around 50 people.

Thirteen Housing has also selected four other delivery partners: Esh Construction; Galliford Try Partnerships; Engie; and Mears to deliver larger schemes worth more than £7.5m.

The housing association is presently tendering a demolition framework worth around £5m, with one preferred contractor and four other selected to carry out housing clearance over the next four years.