By Richard Sterling, Development & Decarbonisation Director at Seddon Housing Partnerships

We’ve heard lots of talk about the numbers over the past few years. The government’s ambitious plans to build 1.5 million new homes are proving just that – ambitious.

Conversations around how we might get to, or even near, that target have so far focused on plans around new towns, the green belt, and planning reforms. All will facilitate large-scale development projects of thousands of homes, usually on the edge of current towns and cities.

But beyond that target, there is a burning issue that everyone in housing – both nationally and locally – must grapple with. A huge number of our current homes are approaching the end of their natural life and will soon need replacing.

Around 80% of our homes in the UK were built before 1980, and nearly 40% before 1946, meaning we have one of the oldest housing stocks in Europe.

In the North of England alone, it is estimated that more than 100,000 social homes will fall into an end-of-life category over the next decade, according to recent research.

This means more families living in homes that either won’t comply with regulations, are no longer financially viable to maintain, or are in areas in need of wider regeneration.

We know from our role in the housing sector over the last 127 years that when we work hand-in-hand with landlords, we can transform communities – not just for today, but for generations of families.

There has always been the will to deliver. Now we have the financial backing to support that aspiration, and it is encouraging to see that Homes England has recognised the importance of regeneration as part of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).

Estate regen is often where social housing providers are at their most effective.

They know communities and their history, understand local housing and wider social needs, and, crucially, are not driven by profit.

Social landlords, be they councils or housing associations, are in communities for the long term. They don’t build and walk away. And that’s why they often do regeneration so well.

It’s in everyone’s interest to make sure estates are passed from one generation to the next.

Often, especially in urban areas, regeneration can bring additional homes to an area. With better use of land and design, we get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconfigure sites that match the current needs of the community.

When regeneration is done with communities, it works. It stands the test of time. When it’s done to them, it’s expensive, and it’s never long before the builders are back on site.

Since our foundation, regeneration has been part of who we are. It’s in our DNA. Over the years, we’ve built a specialist team that works with both landlords and communities to invest in existing homes, deliver new ones, and create an environment that fits with the local area.

Recently, our work with partners including Sandwell Council, Irwell Valley Homes, and Together Housing Group has meant we’ve been able to bring to life their commitment to community-led transformation.

Our Field Lane regeneration project with Together Housing is transforming an area of Calderdale in Yorkshire, with 94 new homes replacing 39 one-bedroom flats, upgrades to 410 current homes, and wider investments in the community from playgrounds and bin stores to planting and car parking.

All of this work has been planned with the community, with a huge emphasis placed on engagement.

At the award-winning Sale West Estate regeneration – the biggest regeneration project in Manchester in over a decade – we built 79 much-needed new homes for social rent for Irwell Valley Homes, carefully integrating them into the current estate. Many of the homes are pepper-potted across the estate, with some near third-party-owned land and occupied homes. It made for a logistical challenge that volume housebuilders are simply unwilling to engage with. Social housing is. And the impact on the community is already significant.

We also resurfaced roads and footpaths, and built new play areas and gardens. This all came after significant engagement with the likes of the Sale West Residents’ Association to ensure that co-creation was embedded in the transformation of the community.

In Sandwell, we were able to fully refurbish the 1960s high-rise block at Alfred Gunn Housing, adding 15 new homes to the roof and basement of the building and 16 new semi-detached houses in the surrounding area in the process.

The works included installation of all cladding, windows, enclosed balcony extensions, fire protection works, lift upgrades and a new external staircase.

All of this work has allowed us to invest in social value projects across communities and invest in creating jobs and apprenticeships – things that mean a lot to us as a family-owned business.

Our Passivhaus Programme with Salford City Council is a great example of this. The programme has generated £9.5 million of local supply chain spend, ensuring investment stays in the city and directly benefits the community. It has also opened up new opportunities, with 13 apprenticeships created, dozens of work placements offered, and local people supported into employment.

The government’s ambitions for housebuilding should be welcomed – it’s been long needed.

But let’s also take the opportunity to look closely at our current communities to see how we can make them work better for those who live in them.

Housing associations and councils will be the catalyst for that change.

Now that we have clarity, the sector must move forward with confidence – turning ambitions into partnerships and then into delivery. We’re ready to breathe new life into estates and create homes and spaces that work for people today and for generations to come.