Landlord of the year

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Since completing its first retrofit project – a ground source heat pump programme – in 2017, Together Housing Association has been at the forefront of driving decarbonisation across the social housing sector.

 

With a dedicated £30m annual budget over the next five years providing the flexibility to scale activities and adapt to changing needs, together with a clear carbon reduction strategy, Together is targeting Energy Performance Certificate Band C ratings across its stock by 2030 and the removal of fossil fuels by 2035 – ensuring its homes are energy efficient, future-proofed and affordable to run.

 

Together’s retrofit work combines structural change, innovation and cross-sector collaboration with partners including NatWest and the University of Huddersfield. Its work already shows impressive results: Together has completed energy-saving upgrades on 6,000 properties. The team also works with SMEs to expand green skills and jobs – training operatives, creating apprenticeships and backfilling entry-level roles. In 2023-24, Together’s retrofit contractors hired six apprentices and seven local staff members.

 

Together’s people-first approach combines education, case studies and feedback loops to maximise resident satisfaction – with scores currently averaging 4.69 out of 5.

 

The judges said:

“There’s something no-nonsense and quietly effective about this entry. Together Housing has scaled up fast, learned from early retrofits, and made it business as usual – which is no small feat”