UK Housing Sector Outlook: What’s next for UK housing associations?
- Charlotte Clark-Wilson
- Oct 16
- 3 min read
Practical strategies to turn pressure into progress—drawn from twelve leaders helping to create safer, sustainable homes.
Why we created this report
The last 18 months have moved UK housing associations from policy statements to proof. Consumer standards, programmed inspections, Tenant Satisfaction Measures and SRS v2.0 have hardened expectations, while costs, ageing stock and climate pressures stretch capacity. The Housing Association Outlook Report 2026 was built to help housing association leaders move faster from intent to evidence—showing, not just saying, that homes are safe, tenants are heard and organisations are resilient.
What’s inside
The report distils five hard realities—and the moves that leaders are making to meet them:
From regulation to assurance: The landscape has shifted from setting policies to demonstrating outcomes. Consumer standards, inspections and TSMs emphasise whether evidence stands up to scrutiny and connects frontline reality with board reporting. The focus is less on the presence of a policy and more on the quality, timeliness and traceability of the proof behind it.
Financial discipline under stress: Viability conversations increasingly blend multiple pressures—repairs, insurance, interest costs and decarbonisation—rather than viewing them in isolation. Scenario-led thinking is becoming a way to understand trade-offs over 5–30 years, showing where programmes are resilient and where they are exposed.
The execution gap: Many housing associations cite a disconnect between intentions and delivery. Typical symptoms include fragmented datasets, spreadsheet workarounds and limited visibility across stock, compliance and customer outcomes. Integrated systems and clearer data lineage are emerging as the means to move information reliably from service level to board level.
Culture and governance: Boards are placing greater weight on the ability to interrogate data and ask “what would disprove this?” Operational teams, meanwhile, value clear accountability and psychological safety to surface issues early. Together, these trends point to cultures that reward curiosity, transparency and steady improvement.
Sustainability as financial infrastructure: ESG is increasingly treated as part of how the organisation stays solvent and investable, rather than a standalone disclosure exercise. That includes attention to data quality, Scope 3 exposure, adaptation to climate risks and the link between housing quality, tenant health and long-term costs.
Shaped by expert contributors
Twelve contributors, including CEOs, board leaders and specialists, shared candid lessons across governance, viability, assurance, sustainability and tenant outcomes. We're incredibly thankful to all the contributors below for sharing their valuable insights.
Ian McLeod — Chair, Finance/Risk/Audit, Elim Housing Association
Paul Smith — Chief Executive, Elim Housing Association
Corinna Bishopp — Chief Executive, Saxon Weald Housing Association
Sarah Thomas — Chief Executive, RHP Group
Dr Kion Ahadi — Board Member, Gateway Housing Association
Michelle Meldrum — Chief Executive, Berwickshire Housing Association
John McMorrow — Chief Executive, Melville Housing Association
Richard Lupo — Managing Director, SHIFT Environment
Danielle Hughes — Associate, Sustainability for Housing / The Good Economy
Angela Ward — Director of Housing, TIAA Ltd
Andy Smith — Head of Impact Services, The Good Economy
John Andrew — Director of Finance, IT & Governance, Gateway Housing Association
Building the future: One safe, sustainable home at a time
If you lead or govern a UK housing association, this Outlook cuts through the noise and shows where evidence, risk and delivery really meet—pairing sector-specific clarity on the year ahead with usable insight and perspectives from twelve CEOs, board leaders and specialists. It’s built to save time for decision-makers, translating frontline data into assurance that stands up to scrutiny without adding complexity.
Download the Housing Association Outlook Report 2026 to get the clarity, context and credibility to navigate 2026 with confidence,
