Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, announces its appointment as insurance broker to Guernsey Housing Association (GHA), securing property insurance for more than 1,000 housing association properties across the island.
GHA is one of Guernsey’s largest providers of affordable housing, providing rented, partial ownership, extra care and key worker homes for islanders. The appointment was led locally by SPF Private Clients in Guernsey, part of Howden, working with Howden’s specialist Real Estate team in Manchester. Together, the teams placed GHA’s property insurance programme with Allianz.
The mandate combines SPF Private Clients’ knowledge of the Guernsey market and longstanding local relationships with Howden’s specialist real estate insurance expertise and access to the wider insurance market.
For a residential portfolio of this scale, the way the risk is understood can have a significant bearing on coverage and pricing. Howden worked with GHA to understand its requirements before taking the portfolio to the market and securing terms with Allianz.
Pierre Blampied, Managing Director of SPF Private Clients in Guernsey said: “GHA is an important part of Guernsey’s housing infrastructure, so this was a significant appointment for our local team. What made the difference was being able to combine our understanding of Guernsey and the client with specialist real estate expertise and insurer relationships from across Howden. It meant we could approach the market with a clear understanding of what GHA needed and build the placement around those requirements.”
Cameron Peeling, Associate Director of Howden Real Estate added: “We worked with SPF and GHA to build a clear picture of the portfolio before approaching the market. That gave insurers greater confidence in the risk and helped us secure terms from our trusted insurers that met GHA’s requirements. It is a strong example of how local knowledge and specialist expertise collaborate, and we look forward to building on the relationship.”
Tom Chandler, Underwriting Manager of Allianz Insurance Plc said:
“We are proud to support Guernsey Housing Association with a tailored solution that reflects the specific requirements of their operations and long-term ambitions. This placement represents the beginning of what we hope will be a lasting partnership.”
Victoria Slade, Chief Executive, Guernsey Housing Association said:
“Like any other business, we have to make sure we are managing costs whilst getting the best service possible, particularly as a not-for-profit social landlord. The SPF and Howden’s team really got to know our organisation quickly and were able to tap into markets which understand our sector, whilst appreciating our local context.”
ENDS