Housing associations shift from flats to houses

Housing associations are planning more low-rise social housing projects according to exclusive new construction research from Glenigan.

Last year, the amount of apartment projects where construction was started by housing associations declined by 20% and this change is reflected in planned new schemes.

In 2024, there was a 29% fall in the number of new apartments included in detailed planning applications made by housing associations but a 44% increase in plans for new houses.

This helped drive a 5% increase in the overall number of new homes proposed by housing associations last year. Glenigan’s research puts this figure at 16,415 units, which is up from 15,612 units in 2023.

Glenigan economics director Allan Wilén comments: “Housing associations have focussed their development activity on low rise housing projects at the expense of apartment schemes.

“The decline in apartment projects proposed may reflect the added cost and delays associated with high rise projects following the introduction of the Building Safety Act.”

Top housing association

Evera Homes proposed the largest number of new social housing units in 2024 according to Glenigan’s industry analysis.

The group was formed in 2018 as a joint venture between four housing associations: Hyde, Longhurst, Cross Keys, and Flagship with an ambition of starting work on 2,000 homes over the next five years.

These ambitions continue after submitting detailed planning applications to build more than 1,100 homes last year. These projects range from eight flats in Lambeth, south London (Project ID: 24324890) to the 500-unit Abbey development at Thetford in Norfolk (Project ID: 24151063).

After topping the social housing planning table in 2023, Clarion slips out of the Top 10 into 14^th position last year, but sector heavyweight London & Quadrant returns to this echelon with plans filed to build more than 1,000 homes last year.

Detailed applications submitted by L&Q in 2024 include plans for 210 houses at Homestead View in Rugby (Project ID: 19110729).

Apex – a housing association based in Northern Ireland – was also busy on the planning front with applications to build 980 homes, which secured third place.

Schemes in Apex’s planning programme, ranged from the proposed Ashley Park development of 40 homes on the former site Dunmurry Cricket Club near Belfast (Project ID: 24187611) to the first phase of the Upper Gallaigh scheme in Londonderry for 121 houses and 10 flats (pictured) (Project ID: 20087563)

More Together

The housing association proposing the largest number of detailed planning applications was Together, which was ranked in 11^th place after submitting 11 proposals to build a total of 471 homes.

These projects ranged from 15 houses at Brighouse in Calderdale (Project ID: 24155454) to further phases of the Hordern Rake development in Blackburn (Project ID: 24208582).

Social housing upswing

After a 15% decline in the underlying value of social housing project starts (schemes valued up to £100 million) last year, Glenigan is forecasting an increase of 11% both this year and in 2026.

Glenigan economics director Allan Wilén adds: “New social housing provision is set to strengthen. Improved cost stability has given housing associations greater confidence to plan and move forward with their development projects.”