Housing associations created £155m in social value across all six boroughs of Liverpool city region in 2024/25, new data reveals. Tony McDonough reports
Housing associations across Liverpool city region are going far beyond just building and managing homes by creating significant social value across all six boroughs.
New research published by Liverpool City Region Housing Associations (LCRHA), a powerful alliance of 22 housing associations, commissioned charity and housing association consultancy HACT to look at how much social value is being created.
The Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT) measures the social impact of housing providers’ work in financial terms.
HACT examined activity by city region housing associations including cost-of-living support, employment assistance, wellbeing activities, youth projects, digital inclusion, environmental clean-up, community groups and decarbonisation.
They concluded that around £155m of social value had been created in the 2024/25 financial year alone. The biggest contribution came from cost-of-living support, totalling more than £76m, while almost £21.5m was invested into employment and training.
This news comes as it’s announced LCRHA has appointed chief executive of Croxteth-based Cobalt Housing, Claire Griffiths, as its new chair. Two approaches were used by HACT to calculate social value:
- Indicative social value – calculations made using assumptions mapped to outcome values in the UK Social Value Bank.
- Actual social value – calculations made using the evidence requirements as set out in the UK Social Value Bank.
Claire Griffiths told LBN: “These are astonishing figures and show the significant impact that housing associations make. Providing safe, secure, affordable homes is at the heart of everything we do, but we do so much more.
“We create sustainable communities, provide opportunities for training and employment, work with partners to improve health and wellbeing and make a real difference to people’s lives every day.”
HACT undertook analysis of data provided by the following housing associations: Alpha, Anchor, Cobalt Housing, Crosby Housing Association, ForHousing, Halton Housing, Livv Housing Group, Magenta Living, OneVision Housing, Onward, Pine Court Housing Association, Plus Dane Housing, Prima, Regenda, Riverside, Sanctuary, Steve Biko Housing Association, South Liverpool Homes, Sovini, Torus, Wirral Methodist Housing Association and Your Housing Group.
Between them they manage more than 213,000 homes serving 450,857 people and employ 8,567 staff.
The rigorous approach adopted by HACT starts from the belief that social value is only delivered when impact is achieved. Social impact is therefore the difference made to individuals, communities, and society through interventions and programmes of work.
In the report, it said: “We value this impact by measuring the change in wellbeing that people say happens as a result of, for example, feeling more confident or having less stress or anxiety.
The methodology that underpins every value is based on what people say in response to annual surveys like Understanding Society and the English Housing Survey.
This study revealed that LCRHA supported more than 74,500 people with money guidance sessions, housing advice sessions and food-related support.
In addition, its members ran 283 food-related projects and supported residents to claim more than £20m in unclaimed welfare benefits to which they were entitled.
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Claire added: “We’re rightly proud of what our members have achieved, and we will continue to work tirelessly for the communities we support.
Acting on recommendations from HACT, we will be setting out our priorities to continue to provide social value in the years to come and commit to measuring and reporting on social value as a collective consortium.”
Speaking about her appointment, Claire said: “I’m honoured and excited to step into this role at a pivotal moment for our region and the housing sector.
“Housing remains one of the most powerful tools we have to drive meaningful social, economic and environmental change.”
Stepping down as chair is Léann Hearne, who added: “Over the past three years I’ve been proud to lead the LCRHA and use our combined impact to make things better for our customers, communities and the LCR, at large.
“Looking at our latest social value figures just blows me away and I’m confident that under Claire’s leadership, the group will continue having a positive impact on those who live in our region.
“Her understanding of the sector and the challenges we must address will be instrumental to the continued success of the group and I wish her all the best.”