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 25% fall in the number of new apartments included in detailed planning applications made by housing associations but a 18% increase in plans for new houses.

The overall number of new homes proposed by housing associations last year slipped to 14,480 according to Glenigan’s research, which is down 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

Sector heavyweight London & Quadrant was the only housing association to file plans 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).

After topping the social housing planning table in 2023, Clarion slips out of the Top 10 into 13^th position last year, but Apex – a housing association based in Northern Ireland – was also busy on the planning front with applications to build 980 homes, which secured second 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 (pictured) (Project ID: 24187611) to the first phase of the Upper Gallaigh scheme in Londonderry for 121 houses and 10 flats (Project ID: 20087563).

More Together

The housing association proposing the largest number of detailed planning applications was Together, which was ranked in 9^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.”