Housing Corporation News Release

Chief Executive, Jon Rouse, to depart Housing Corporation for London Borough of Croydon

21 March 2007  Ref: 30/07

Housing Corporation Chief Executive, Jon Rouse, has been offered a new job as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Croydon.  A special meeting of the full council has been called to formally confirm his appointment next week.

Jon Rouse said, "I am delighted at the prospect of becoming Croydon’s next Chief Executive and look forward to working closely with elected members, officer colleagues and residents to make the borough an even better place in which to live and work.

"I am of course sad to be leaving the Housing Corporation.  Working under the leadership of my Chairman, Peter Dixon, has been a privilege from start to finish.  I could not have asked for a more supportive environment.  Working with the Board and colleagues, we have significantly improved the performance of the organisation on all fronts and won the confidence of external stakeholders.  I am proud of our achievements.

"I am also sad that I will not have the chance to play a full part in the development of Communities England.  However, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the creation of an integrated national housing and regeneration agency from my new position within the local government sector."
 
Peter Dixon, Chairman of the Housing Corporation, said, "Jon has been great to work with over the past three years and Croydon is fortunate to have persuaded him to join them.  When he joined the Housing Corporation we had a challenging agenda which he has risen to fully.  The current profile of social housing and its increased prominence in both local and national thinking owe much to his energy and enthusiasm.  We all wish him well and will miss him hugely."

Croydon Council leader, Mike Fisher, said,  “Clearly, this is a very important appointment for the council and for the future development of our town.  In Jon Rouse I believe we have identified a ‘rising star’ in the public sector who, at a relatively young age, already has a very strong record of achievement.

"He is highly regarded by many distinguished figures with whom he has worked closely and his accomplishments in the spheres of housing, regeneration and planning should stand him in good stead for many of the challenges Croydon is currently facing.”
 
Jon Rouse is set to become only Croydon’s sixth Chief Executive in 70 years and – at 38 - will be one of the youngest top appointments in a major unitary authority.  He succeeds David Wechsler who is retiring after 37 years with the council, the last 14 of them as Chief Executive.  Croydon is London’s largest borough with a population of more than 340,000 people.

Subject to confirmation of the appointment by the full council next week, Jon Rouse expects to take up his position in Croydon by mid summer.

Ends.

Notes to Editors
1) For further press information, please contact Katy Nicholson on 020 7393 2115.
2) The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating nearly 2,000 housing associations across England.  Its biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 will fund 84,000 homes;  49,000 of these will be for affordable rent, and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.
3) The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships and Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed new national housing and regeneration agency, Communities England.