We have come far since we first started out as Three Rivers Housing Society in 1971. Our first development project was completed in 1976 with a 62-unit family housing scheme located in one of the Durham villages. Since then, a steady programme of home developments continued at a pace of 50 to 100 units per year until the mid-1980s. By the end of the 1980s, Three Rivers had developed around 1,000 units. With the introduction of new funding in 1989, we experienced significant growth in the subsequent years. Today, as one of the largest housing groups in the region, we currently offer over 3,000 properties to let in County Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland. Three Rivers registered as a housing association in 1974, and then came under a Group structure in 1999. As we grew, specialist services such as supported housing were added to our portfolio of general needs properties. Supported housing fast became an important arm of Three Rivers and we are now one of the leading and most experienced housing providers for people who need extra care and help in the North-East. Our pioneering approach led us to develop the first specialist home for autistic young people in the region.