The Flax Housing Association was founded in 1987 by members of the Flax Trust, a charitable body operating in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The purpose of forming the Housing Association was to provide affordable, quality housing for persons in necessitous circumstances in the Association’s catchments area. Since formation the Association has expanded its area of operation geographically to include the Antrim Road, Cliftonville, Oldpark areas of North Belfast and properties throughout West Belfast.

Today the Association has an overall housing stock of 431 properties; worth £35,000,000.

The Association is managed by an eight member committee, who are all voluntary and come from varying professional and social backgrounds. The day to day operations of the Association is managed by the General Manager Donal Conway. The General Manager is responsible for fourteen full time staff members and three part time staff members.

Some Previous Developments include:

McCorry House – Foyer – Herbert Street Phase 1

• Holyrood House completed 1993, 33 units for the frail elderly;
• McCorry House completed 1998, 30 units for the active elderly;
• Thorndale Centre completed 1997, 11 units for vulnerable families with the Salvation Army as the Joint Management Partner;
• Flax Foyer completed 1999, 38 units for young people aged 16/25;
• Brompton Park, Ardoyne Depot 1 & 2, Prospect Park, Woodland Avenue and Herbert Street Phase 1 are all general needs Housing built to Lifetime Homes Standard and Secure by Design Standards.

New Developments – Herbert Street Phase Two, Belfast

Flax Housing Association has re-developed the lands located on Herbert Street/Flax Street and is the Second Phase of a two folded development. Ardoyne is a vibrant urban village and the demand for housing in the area is extremely high. The development of the site for residential use was supported by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, DSD Housing Association Branch and the Belfast Divisional Planning Service of the DOE.

Herbert Street Phase Two offers a number of challenges and opportunities. Single storey industrial units occupied the site. These units were not architecturally significant, most of which were vacant and in a poor state of repair surrounded by hard surfaced areas used for parking and access. Herbert Street phase Two is a development of 34 new build properties. The mixture of properties for this development includes: 14 two bed apartments with 2 ground floor fully disabled apartments; 4 two bed maisonettes; 16 three and four bed houses. All built to Lifetime Homes Standard and Secure by Design Standards.

The newest development – Brookfield Mill Apartments was completed in December 2012 and contains 40 x 3 person bed flats.

Flax Mews Street View,
Entrance Lobby Herbert Street
Apartments, Herbert Street Apartments Rear View,
Elish, Maura, Matt and Martin. Some Staff Members of Flax Housing Association Ltd.,

Donal Conway. General Manager. Flax Housing Association Ltd. with Chairman John Patterson

Gate Lodge Side View

Gatelodge, Flax Street, Belfast
The Gatelodge provides much needed office accommodation on the ground and 1st floor with 9 one-bed appartments of quality general needs over 3 floors above. This development is completed to ECO Homes Rating of Very Good.

Future Developments
We are currently commencing on-site with a further 15 units at Ballybone, Oldpark Road, Belfast. Once completed these will provide quality, affordable social housing to those in need.

Flax Housing Association Ltd
The Gatelodge
Flax Street
Belfast
BT14 7AP

Tel:  02890 592110
Fax: 02890 594440
Website: