Why collaboration is the key to unlocking social housing regeneration

As a sector, social housing regeneration is facing the perfect storm. From an increasingly complex policy backdrop and widening skills gaps slowing down delivery, to pressures on the sector to decarbonise both quickly and cost-effectively.

Although these are complex issues affecting the industry as a whole, I believe that a commitment to greater alignment between policy, procurement and delivery will help us to deliver high quality social housing generation at scale and in practice.

One symptom of the current approach is siloed working. Policy is often developed centrally, procurement managed separately and delivery teams focused on implementation on site. Without sufficient alignment between these functions, opportunities can be missed to take a more coordinated and efficient approach.

For example, an occurrence of damp and mould may be treated as a reactive repair rather than a holistic view that addresses potential underlying causes such as poor ventilation, inadequate insulation and gaps in available information on a property.

Similarly, ambitions around decarbonisation are likely to be most successful when embedded within broader programmes focused on building safety, asset management and resident outcomes. This integrated approach can help unlock greater efficiencies, improve decision-making and deliver more sustainable results.

To challenge this siloed way of working, we have adopted a holistic approach to social housing regeneration which focuses on the whole property and how each of its issues interlink and interact with one another, as opposed to treating them in isolation.

We have found that the most successful regeneration programmes are those that align strategic asset planning, design and procurement, proactive resident engagement and effective delivery from the outset; something that we apply to every project we work on. Together, this means that we can create real outcomes on the ground by delivering safe, warm and affordable homes.

Our work with L&Q shows this approach in action. Appointed in 2023, we are part of its 15-year major works investment programme, the largest of its kind in the industry. By bringing a full supply chain of contractors together as part of this programme, we are helping to deliver remediations including specialist fire safety works and ensuring a minimum EPC status of C across their estate by 2028. And these works are being delivered with the impacted communities front of mind, with social value commitments including training and apprenticeships, community facilities and charity fundraising creating a lasting impact.

With L&Q’s programme delivering improvements to 21,000 homes to date across the supply chain since its inception, we’re proud to be part of demonstrating how collaborative working across the supply chain can result in meaningful change and progress in social housing regeneration. And this is just one of the 13 frameworks we’re currently part of, showing the capacity to replicate this model industry wide and the sheer scale of the impact this can deliver.

This way of working is particularly important against the increasingly complex policy backdrop we face as a sector. From the introduction of Awaab’s Law in 2025, to the funding of investment programmes such as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, the message from government is clear. We’re being asked to deliver safer, warmer and cheaper homes, faster.

Meeting this ambition will require more than individual projects or isolated interventions. It calls for procurement models that encourage collaboration, long-term thinking and shared responsibility for outcomes. It means building supply chains that are aligned around the needs of residents, rather than focused solely on delivering against individual targets.

Above all, it requires a willingness across the sector to work in new ways, bringing together expertise, resources and perspectives to tackle interconnected challenges. While funding will remain important, our collective success will ultimately be shaped by how well we adapt, collaborate and embrace a more integrated approach to delivery.