Places for People leads new consortium driving retrofit of social homes
Places for People is leading a new consortium of social housing providers that aims to accelerate efforts to decarbonise homes.
Seven landlords in England are working together to maximise the impact of government funding to deliver retrofit at scale and pace, and drive greater value for money.
The Thriving Communities Consortium has received almost £31m from the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3. This amount, which will be match funded by the consortium, equates to just under 54% of the total award from the government in this funding wave.
The other organisations involved in the consortium are: Accent, Eddystone Housing, Thrive Homes, Papworth Trust, Paradigm and West Kent Housing Association.
Work will start this month and will include installation of heat pumps, solar panels and double glazing to improve the EPC rating of thousands of properties. Projects are expected to be completed by Winter 2028.
PfP Thrive, Places for People’s training provider, will deliver free or discounted training in green skills to all members.
The group will introduce a decarbonisation procurement framework that will provide organisations with access to the appropriate skills and materials required to carry out projects to a high quality.
As well as sharing resources from their supply chains, the consortium believes working together could save more than £2.1m in investment costs and more than £250,000 in training, which will be put back into the programme.
The group has committed to creating new jobs and apprenticeships, and will be investing in the local charities and groups to drive social value.
Tim Weightman, chief investment officer for Places for People, said:
“Too many homes in the UK are old and poorly insulated, and our organisations see the devastating impact this has on our society, from poor health to impacting people’s access to the job market. A quality home is at the heart of a healthy life. It’s why the Thriving Communities Consortium exists. If we want to reduce the strain on our public services and support more people to be economically active, we need to accelerate our efforts to improve, not just the homes, but the lives of people who live in them.
“This funding allows us to make homes warmer and reduce customers’ energy bills, ensuring that families do not have to choose between heating their homes and other essential needs.
“As a consortium, we will make this grant funding go further. We will create new economic opportunities and, through leveraging the support of PfP Thrive, will upskill people in construction and green technologies, building a skilled workforce equipped to tackle future environmental challenges.
“Without collaborations such as the Thriving Communities Consortium we will not meet the UK’s net-zero emissions target, nor will we finally improve the overall quality of UK housing to improve the health and well-being of people.
“With robust asset data, clear delivery plans, and experienced supply chain partners, we are confident this project will improve homes, customers’ well-being, and deliver wider social value to the communities we serve.
“Not only does this approach deliver the best outcomes; it allows us to collaborate to ensure this vital funding can go further.”
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