The company is EB4U, a New Deal for Communities organisation in east Brighton.
It hopes to take over the 6000 council homes that fall within its area if the council decides to transfer its homes after an options appraisal it plans for July.
Under EB4U's plan, the council's remaining 7000 homes would be taken over by another landlord.
Graham Maunders, director of EB4U, said: "Given our experience of regeneration locally, our knowledge of what's needed and the prospect of the council transferring its stock, we felt that consideration needed to be given to what we could contribute.
"Our work should be more than just another 10-year initiative and setting up a housing company would enable that to happen."
The NDC, which was set up in 2000 with a 10-year funding pot of £47m, has been unpopular in some quarters and accused of spending its money on trivial initiatives and failing to make an impact.
Our work should be more than just another 10-year initiative
Graham Maunders, EB4U
One senior member of staff at a housing association already operating in the area said: "The jury is still out on whether EB4U can deliver on its core programme, let alone take on something as ambitious as this."
Councillor Jack Hazelgrove, Brighton's cabinet member for housing, said the council could not comment formally until the options appraisal had been completed.
However, speaking in a personal capacity he said: "We would need to be quite strongly convinced that there was a case for the break-up of the housing stock into two parts.
"We have a very strong tenants' movement and very good involvement and would be looking for a community-led approach.
"EB4U would have to make a very strong case and be able to demonstrate a business plan that could stack up."
Hazelgrove added that consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers had looked at the implications of splitting up the stock for transfer and concluded that it would not save the council any money.
Source
Housing Today
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