Social Housing Collaboration R&D Programme

Driving Innovation for the Future of Social Housing

Led by HACT, and supported by a range of influential organisations, the Social Housing Collaboration and R&D Programme brings together senior leaders from across the UK
to spark sector-wide innovation. In response to growing challenges, this ambitious initiative creates the space for long-term thinking, shared learning and collective action.

Through meaningful collaboration with executives, membership bodies, suppliers and stakeholders, we’re building a bold, shared roadmap for the future of social housing.

Why now?

The pressures facing the sector are converging: regulatory demands, inflation, rising poverty and homelessness, decarbonisation targets and the need for community regeneration. At the same time, the ability to respond with bold, long-term strategies is limited by siloed thinking, stretched capacity and short-term firefighting.
Collaboration is no longer a nice-to-have—it is essential.

Opportunity and Urgency

The social housing sector stands at a critical inflection point. A new UK Government brings a fresh political agenda and renewed focus on housing, planning and regeneration. At the same time, the sector is navigating an unprecedented convergence of pressures—from regulatory reform and public scrutiny, to financial strain, a fragile economy, and the long-term imperatives of decarbonisation and community resilience.

Unlocking our potential

This Programme is a call to action: to think boldly, to work collectively and to invest in the future of our sector. It is designed to help the sector look beyond immediate pressures and toward long-term, collaborative solutions that can transform how we respond, innovate and deliver to support the people and communities we serve.

Aims of the Programme

A space to think, experiment, accelerate and drive change

The core aim of the programme is simple but powerful: to identify the most pressing challenges and long-term opportunities facing the sector
and to create a Roadmap for shared action, collaboration and investment in research and development.

Phase 1

This first phase, running from March to September 2025, is focused on large-scale engagement, discovery and strategy development and will:

Bring together senior executives and key stakeholders from across the UK, through interviews, roundtables and workshops
Explore what’s already working—and what isn’t—in terms of cross-sector collaboration
Understand where there is appetite to go further, and what support is needed to do so
Learn from other sectors, identifying models that could be adapted for social housing
Develop a 3–5 year Roadmap to guide the sector’s approach to collaboration, innovation and R&D

The Roadmap will be launched at the Housing Community Summit in September 2025, and will outline the key priorities, delivery mechanisms and investment requirements to take forward this collective ambition.

Your Open Invitation to Collaborate

This is an inclusive initiative designed to bring in diverse voices from across the sector and beyond.

HACT is calling on housing associations of all sizes and specialisms—as well as membership bodies and networks, suppliers, contractors and service providers, Government departments and policy bodies along with funders and philanthropic partners – to get involved and help shape the next chapter of collaboration and innovation in social housing.

Supporters

The programme is already backed by more than 20 influential organisations from across the sector and beyond.