We are constantly measuring the quality of our existing homes using our Homes and Place Standard and data from our customers, the market and our internal rent and repairs teams.
Some of our homes meet our standard and will continue to be assessed to maintain their value as social assets and as homes. Some homes will need some investment to bring them up to standard (forming part of our Retrofit programme) and others will need a bit more investment.
Given the age of some of our stock we need to make tough decisions about whether some of our properties can be regenerated or whether replacing them will deliver better long-term quality for our customers. Where reinvestment isn't cost effective, we'll sell some of our empty homes to invest in our existing homes and to build new ones. We won’t sell an occupied home, and will always work to ensure that we replace each home with something fit for purpose within the same geography.
We're working to improve the energy efficiency rating of our existing homes and bring major benefits to customers in terms of affordability, with bills potentially falling by as much as half. Find out more about our 'retrofit' works.
Strategic Asset Management
Heating, hot water, lighting and household appliances all use energy – as well as the energy used in the materials and construction of homes. Most of this still comes from burning fossil fuels, which release damaging emissions into the atmosphere.
To improve homes for our customers and support the UK’s efforts to become net zero for carbon emissions, we’ve committed to all our properties meeting an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or above by 2035 and being net zero by 2050.
Through our Homes and Place Standard we're now building ‘greener’ new homes which are net-zero ready and we're embarking on an ambitious programme to make sure that our existing homes are more energy-efficient and affordable, and that they support the health and wellbeing of customers.
Our Strategic Asset Management strategy sets out how we’ll achieve this for existing homes. One significant element will be retrofitting homes - installing lower energy heating systems and other measures to improve comfort levels for customers and reduce energy bills to help tackle fuel poverty.
In March 2023 we were awarded over £9m by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) towards our £22.5m improvement strategy - helping 1,000 more homes over the following two years. In March 2025 we were also delighted to be awarded a further £36.5m through the government's latest programme, the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
Where we can't improve homes in this way we may also look to sell some of them: reinvesting in those which we can improve. And we will look to regenerate some homes where there are opportunities to bring wider benefits to an area as well.
Watch the animation below to find out more about our approach to Strategic Asset Management
00:02.3 - 00:14.8 We believe the quality of a home affects every aspect of a person's life. And to deliver on our mission all our homes must be high quality.
00:16.2 - 00:29.3 We've never stopped building, regenerating and replacing homes. And as we look to the next 30 years, we will build nearly 2,000 homes a year and raise the standards in every single home we own.
00:30.7 - 00:45.2 We'll measure the quality of our existing homes, using our Homes and Place Standard. The assessment and re-evaluation of our stock is an ongoing process building new homes and investing in or replacing homes that no longer meet our high standards.
00:47.1 - 01:23.8 Some of our homes meet our standard, both rental and shared ownership. Some homes will need some investment to bring them up to standard and others will need a bit more investment. But given the age of some of our stock we need to make tough decisions about whether some of our properties can be regenerated. Or whether replacing them will deliver better long-term quality for our customers. Where reinvestment isn't cost effective. We'll sell some of our empty homes to invest in our existing homes and to build new ones. And there will be others that will be completely rebuilt.
01:24.6 - 01:30.9 And of course, all the while, our normal development programme will bring on new rental and shared ownership homes.
01:32.3 - 01:44.0 It's a plan that is bigger in scope and vision and impact than any we have delivered before, and we'll keep talking with our customers at every step on the journey. So they understand what it means for them.
01:44.9 - 01:56.7 Our plan will ensure that by 2050 every home will be built to last adaptable, enjoyable to live in, sustainable and carbon neutral