The North West’s largest Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) social landlord has announced the appointment of a new chief executive.

Ulfat Hussain will bring over 24 years of housing and senior management experience when he joins Arawak Walton from Manningham Housing Association, where he is currently deputy chief executive. He will replace Arawak Walton’s long-standing chief executive, Cym D’Souza, who retired in 2023.

Ulfat has previously held roles at a variety of housing associations across the North West, including Great Places Housing Group and Home Group, and has also held a number of non-executive board member roles. He currently sits on the board at 54north homes.

Adrian Carridice-Davids, Chair at Arawak Walton, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Ulfat as our new Chief Executive, he has a very impressive track record in housing at a senior leadership level. His passion for social housing and his customer and community focus align perfectly with our vision and values. I’m looking forward to him joining us in October and continuing the great work of Arawak Walton across Greater Manchester’s BME communities.”

 Ulfat said: “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to become Arawak Walton’s new chief executive, and I am very much looking forward to joining them in October and building on their strong foundations.

“I have always been aware of the great work the team at Arawak Walton has been doing, having watched from a far for a number of years. My first priority will be to meet with residents and visiting our communities to understand more about the issues facing them today. Secondly, I want to empower our colleagues to ensure we are providing the best possible services we can for our customers. Together, we will continue to champion equality and inclusion within our homes and across our neighbourhoods.”