Apex
Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider managing 6,000-7,000+ homes and serving over 18,000 tenants across Northern Ireland, offering general needs housing, supported living, sheltered and nursing care, homelessness services, and welfare support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersLondonderry, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Apex does
Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit housing association operating in Northern Ireland, originally established in 1965 as Derry Housing Association and renamed Apex in 2010 to reflect its Northern Ireland-wide reach. It provides social housing and care/support services to more than 18,000 tenants and residents across a portfolio of 6,000-7,000+ homes, with three regional offices in Derry/Londonderry, Belfast, and Dungannon, plus an associated company managing 200+ units in the Republic of Ireland.
The organisation's core products span general needs housing (over 4,500 family properties), supported living schemes for adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs, sheltered and housing-with-care accommodation for older people, two RQIA-regulated nursing homes, hostel accommodation for homeless individuals, and a 48-unit Strand Foyer for 18-25 year olds. Ancillary services include floating tenancy support, welfare advice (benefit checks, Universal Credit transitions), domiciliary care, and the PEACEPLUS-funded Right Support Right Time mental health programme delivered with six partner charities. Apex also develops new homes (target 300-400 per year, including the £13m Meenan Square regeneration and 622-unit Glenmona Belfast scheme) and operates subsidiary Fairbuild Homes (NI) Limited for private-sale development, with surpluses returned to Apex. Recent digital investment includes the My Apex Online Account tenant portal launched in May 2026.
Apex's business model rests on four revenue streams: recurring weekly rents from social housing tenants (allocated via Northern Ireland's Common Selection Scheme), recurring fees for care and support services in supported living and nursing schemes, debt funding secured from institutional investors (notably £30m from Pension Insurance Corporation in February 2024 and £100m in 2021, both arranged via TradeRisks Ltd), and one-time private-sale receipts through Fairbuild Homes. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through housing officers, scheme managers, and tenant engagement programmes (Tenant Network, Scrutiny Panels), with allocations governed by Housing Executive points-based assessments for general needs housing and separate referral processes for supported living.
Apex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apex
- Legal name
- Apex Housing Association Ltd
- Website
- https://apex.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider managing 6,000-7,000+ homes and serving over 18,000 tenants across Northern Ireland, offering general needs housing, supported living, sheltered and nursing care, homelessness services, and welfare support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Housing Services
- NAICS
- Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Community Housing Services (624229)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Small Residential Care Homes (RCFE/Board & Care) (HLADABAF), Housing & Placement Coordination (Assisted Living, Memory Care, SNF) (HSABAIAL), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)
Keywords
Where Apex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Londonderry
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Apex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Housing Rents: Weekly rent payments from tenants occupying social housing properties. Rents are reviewed annually and are designed to be affordable to low income households.
- Care and Support Services: Domiciliary care, nursing care, and support services for tenants in supported living, sheltered housing, and housing with care schemes.
- Debt Investment/Funding: Secured debt investments from institutional investors such as Pension Insurance Corporation (£30 million in 2024) to fund development and refinance existing debt.
- Affordable Housing for Sale: Through subsidiary Fairbuild Homes (NI) Limited, properties are built for private sale. Any surplus generated is donated back to Apex.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Social housing rent based on property type and size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Apex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider in Northern Ireland that owns, lets, and manages more than 6,000 social housing properties and provides in-house care and support services. The portfolio spans general needs family housing, sheltered and housing-with-care schemes for older people, nursing care homes, supported living for adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs, hostel accommodation for homeless individuals, and foyer accommodation for 18–25 year olds. Apex also delivers floating support, welfare advice, wellbeing support, domiciliary care, and develops new social housing through regeneration projects, with affordable home ownership delivered through its Fairbuild Homes subsidiary.
Product overview
Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of housing and care services across Northern Ireland. The core offering includes General Needs Housing (social rented housing with 4,500+ properties), Supported Living services for people with learning disabilities and mental health needs, Sheltered Accommodation for older people, Nursing Care homes, Hostel accommodation for homeless individuals, and Strand Foyer for 18-25 year olds. Supporting these housing services are Floating Support, Welfare Advice, and Wellbeing Support (Right Support Right Time) services. The organisation also develops new social housing through major regeneration projects and facilitates home ownership through its Fairbuild Homes subsidiary. The recently launched My Apex Online Account provides tenants with digital access to manage their tenancy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- General Needs Housing Social rented housing for families and single people with over 4,500 properties located throughout Northern Ireland, including two, three, four, and five bedroom houses and bungalows.
- Strand Foyer Purpose-built accommodation for 18-25 year olds offering 48 self-contained flats plus support services including IT facilities, gym, training kitchen, and Duke of Edinburgh Award programme.
- Hostel Accommodation Temporary accommodation services including Foyle Valley House (10+4 apartments), Springwell House (19+8 flats), and The House in the Wells (14+5 chalets) for homeless individuals and families.
- Sheltered Accommodation Independent living accommodation for tenants over the age of 55 with 12 schemes including Abbey House, Alexander House, Beechwood Court, and others offering communal facilities and scheme manager support.
- Housing with Care for Older People Supported accommodation for older people combining independent living with care services at schemes including Abbey House, Alexander House, Brookhill House, Daleview House, and Killowen House.
- Nursing Care for Older People Registered nursing home services for older people at Daleview House Nursing (Derry/Londonderry) and Parkview House (Castlederg), regulated by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
- Supported Living - Learning Disability Accommodation, support and care for adults with learning disabilities at schemes including Ardavon, Beechway House, Belmont Cottages, Iona House, and Railway Court.
- Supported Living - Mental Health Accommodation, support and care for adults with mental health difficulties at Clondermott House and Dunvale House in Derry/Londonderry.
- Floating Support Service Housing-related support service helping tenants become independent in maintaining their tenancy through assistance with housing, money management, home maintenance, health and wellbeing, and community integration.
- Welfare Advice Service Confidential, impartial and free advice service helping tenants with benefit checks, budgeting, benefit appeals, applications for grants, and assistance with Universal Credit transitions.
- Wellbeing Support (Right Support Right Time) Mental health and wellbeing support partnership with six other charities providing personalized support, advocacy, and access to therapeutic services for people in Northern Ireland and border counties.
- Domiciliary Care Care service provided to Sheltered Housing tenants needing help with cleaning, laundry, shopping, and meal preparation, and Housing with Care tenants requiring mobility and personal hygiene assistance.
- Housing Development Development of new social housing including major projects such as Meenan Square (£13m regeneration), Glenmona Belfast (622 units), and various new build programmes across Northern Ireland.
- Affordable Housing for Sale Affordable housing for sale through Fairbuild Homes subsidiary, including properties at Black Ridge Hill in partnership with Co-Ownership. Any surplus generated is donated back to Apex.
- My Apex Online Account Digital tenant portal giving Apex tenants the ability to manage their tenancy and services online, including viewing rent statements and making payments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Property condition surveys being undertaken in 1,200 homes over two years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Apex
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Apex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Apex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- The Executive Office (Urban Villages Initiative)majorPartnership for the £13 million Meenan Square regeneration project in Derry/Londonderry, creating mixed-use development with new homes, community facilities, and commercial space.
- Meenan Square Developments LtdmajorDevelopment partner for the £13 million Meenan Square regeneration project in Derry/Londonderry's Bogside area.
- Clanmil Housing AssociationcoreJoint venture bringing 122 new homes to west Belfast, combining resources of two of Northern Ireland's leading housing associations.
- Children in CrossfirecoreInternational charity partnership since 2001, fundraising for projects in Kenya and Tanzania. Apex has fundraised over £300,000. Funding comes from staff Give As You Earn donations, tenant/resident fundraising, staff fundraising, and donations.
- Newington Housing Association LimitedcoreSubsidiary housing association operating in North Belfast managing 500 units of accommodation. Apex uses joint resources for mutual benefit.
- Fairbuild Homes (NI) LimitedcoreSubsidiary company set up to build properties for private sale. It is a 'not for profit' company and any surplus generated is donated back to Apex.
- Apex Housing Association (Ireland) LimitedcoreAssociated company established in 1995 as an approved housing body in the Republic of Ireland, managing over 200 units of accommodation. Governed by its own Board of Management with charitable status.
- Inspire, Mencap, Cedar, Respond, DePaul, Red CrossmajorSeven charities delivering the Right Support Right Time programme providing personalised mental health and wellbeing support to people in Northern Ireland and border counties.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Apex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clanmil Housing Association: One of Northern Ireland's largest housing associations and an explicit JV partner of Apex (122-home west Belfast joint venture). Directly comparable in mission, geography, and customer base, providing general needs, sheltered, and supported housing.
- Choice Housing Association: Major NI housing association providing general needs, supported living, and care services across Northern Ireland. Closely comparable service portfolio including learning disability, mental health, and elderly accommodation.
- Fold Housing Association: Northern Ireland housing association providing general needs and supported housing, including services for vulnerable groups. Comparable scale and customer segments to Apex within the same NI regulatory framework.
- Helm Housing Association: NI housing association providing social and supported housing across Northern Ireland, with overlapping service lines including supported living and older persons' housing — directly comparable to Apex.
- Triangle Housing Association: NI-based housing association specialising in supported living for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and autism. Strong overlap with Apex's supported living and housing-with-care portfolio.
- Habinteg Housing Association: UK-wide housing association with significant Northern Ireland presence providing accessible and supported housing. Comparable in offering accessible general needs and supported accommodation.
- Newington Housing Association: Wholly owned Apex subsidiary operating 500 units in North Belfast. Listed separately because it operates as a distinct registered housing association under the same NI regulatory regime as Apex.
Broad incumbents
- Places for People: One of the UK's largest housing associations and developers, managing over 86,000 homes. Provides a much broader national portfolio of general needs, supported living, and home ownership, overlapping with Apex's core offering at scale.
- Clarion Housing: Largest UK housing association, managing c.125,000 homes across England. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing general needs housing, supported living, and shared ownership at significant scale.
- Peabody: Major UK housing association and developer with c.107,000 homes. Provides general needs, supported, and care services across London and the South East — a comparable care-plus-housing model, though geographically distant from Apex's NI focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apex social profiles
Digital presenceApex compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Apex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Apex subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Apex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apex
What does Apex do?
Apex Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider in Northern Ireland that owns, lets, and manages more than 6,000 social housing properties and provides in-house care and support services. The portfolio spans general needs family housing, sheltered and housing-with-care schemes for older people, nursing care homes, supported living for adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs, hostel accommodation for homeless individuals, and foyer accommodation for 18–25 year olds. Apex also delivers floating support, welfare advice, wellbeing support, domiciliary care, and develops new social housing through regeneration projects, with affordable home ownership delivered through its Fairbuild Homes subsidiary.
Is Apex a public or private company?
Apex is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Apex founded?
Apex was founded in 1965. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Apex based?
Apex is headquartered in Londonderry, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Apex make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Social Housing Rents are the primary driver. The others are care and Support Services, debt Investment/Funding and affordable Housing for Sale.
Who are Apex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clanmil Housing Association, Choice Housing Association, Fold Housing Association, Helm Housing Association, Triangle Housing Association, Habinteg Housing Association and Newington Housing Association. Broad incumbents are Places for People, Clarion Housing and Peabody.
Does Apex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Apex.
What industry is Apex in?
Apex's product category is Social Housing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of HLADABAF, Small Residential Care Homes (RCFE/Board & Care). Its NAICS code is 623312 and its SIC code is 8050.