Arawak Walton Housing Association

What Arawak Walton Housing Association does

Arawak Walton Housing Association Limited is a privately held, registered social landlord with charitable status operating in Greater Manchester, England. The firmographic record lists a founded year of 1994, while its own materials report over 40 years of experience and a founding in the 1980s; both signals are preserved here. The organisation is positioned as the largest independent Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Housing Association in the North West of England, with specialist cultural expertise developed over decades serving African-Caribbean and other BME communities in inner-city areas. Its operations are concentrated across Manchester, Stockport, and Trafford, with the majority of properties located in Moss Side, Whalley Range, and Ardwick.

The core product is a portfolio of over 1,200 affordable rental homes — ranging from studio flats to seven-bedroom family houses — augmented by a specialist housing scheme for residents aged 55 and over. Revenue is generated almost entirely through residential tenancy rents set at approximately 10% below market rates, billed weekly or monthly, with Housing Benefit accepted and no traditional deposit (first four weeks' rent is collected at sign-up). The underlying technology stack is a tenant management platform; the headline product launched in July 2026 is "AW Connect", an online portal and mobile application delivering 24/7 self-service across repair reporting, rent payment, balance and statement access, payment arrangement setup, personal detail updates, ASB reporting, and feedback. Additional non-housing services include a third-party Hate Crime Reporting Centre, anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse support, and tenant wellbeing programmes.

Distribution is hybrid: approximately half of available homes are let through Arawak Walton's own points-based waiting list (assessed by housing need, with interview and documentation verification), and the other half are allocated via Local Authority nomination agreements — most prominently the Manchester Move scheme, which advertises homes from around 18 not-for-profit landlords. Supporting revenue, governance, and demand infrastructure includes partnerships with Manchester City Council, Trafford Borough Council, and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, alongside sector memberships in BME National, the National Housing Federation, the North West Housing Forum, GMHP, and Manchester Strategic Housing Partnership. Disclosed scale metrics include ~£7M annual turnover, a ~£49M asset base, 85% tenant satisfaction (TSM), 75% culturally diverse tenants, and 100% gas safety certificate coverage; a C2 regulatory judgement was issued by the Regulator of Social Housing in 2026.

Name

Arawak Walton Housing Association

Legal name

Arawak Walton Housing Association Limited

Website

https://arawakwalton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arawak Walton Housing Association Limited operates approximately 1,200 affordable rental homes across Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, Trafford), serving primarily Black and Minority Ethnic communities as the largest independent BME housing association in the North West of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Senior & Assisted Living Residential Property Management (BPAJAFAE)

Keywords

• Social housing
• Affordable housing
• Housing association
• Supported housing
• Tenancy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Tenancy Rents: The association generates revenue through rental income from over 1200 homes across Manchester, Stockport, and Trafford. Rents are set at approximately 10% below market rates to provide affordable housing. Tenants typically pay the first 4 weeks rent when signing a tenancy agreement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arawak Walton Housing Association provides affordable rental homes across Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, and Trafford), maintaining a stock of over 1,200 properties for individuals and families in housing need. It also delivers specialist supported housing for over-55s and wraparound tenancy services, including anti-social behaviour support, domestic abuse assistance, and a dedicated hate crime reporting centre.

Product overview

Arawak Walton Housing Association is a BME-focused social housing provider offering a portfolio of over 1000 affordable homes across Manchester, Stockport, and Trafford. The organisation provides traditional housing services (property management, repairs, tenancy administration) alongside digital tenant services through its AW Connect online portal and mobile app. Additional services include specialist support for hate crime reporting, anti-social behaviour management, domestic abuse support, and accommodation for residents aged 55 and older. The housing ranges from studio flats to 7-bedroom family homes, with lettings managed through a points-based waiting list system and mutual exchange options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AW Connect: New online portal and mobile app launching 8th July for tenancy services including reporting repairs, checking rent balance, making payments, and accessing tenancy information.

Products and services

• Affordable Rental Homes Portfolio Rental of over 1,200 affordable homes across Greater Manchester to individuals and families in housing need, with rents set approximately 10% below local market rates. Homes are let to tenants on standard social housing tenancies, primarily through the Manchester Move Local Authority nominations partnership and the association's own waiting list.
• Homes for Over 55s (Supported Housing) Specialist supported rental housing for tenants aged 55 and over within the Arawak Walton portfolio, providing age-appropriate homes with associated tenancy and wellbeing support across Greater Manchester.
• AW Connect Tenant Portal and Mobile App Online self-service portal and mobile application enabling tenants to manage their tenancy, report repairs, make payments, and access housing services digitally. Available to all Arawak Walton tenants.
• Hate Crime Reporting Centre Confidential hate crime reporting service for tenants and the wider community, operated in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, enabling victims to report incidents and access support.
• Domestic Abuse Support Service Confidential support service for tenants experiencing domestic abuse, providing guidance, safety planning, and access to appropriate housing and external specialist services.
• Anti-Social Behaviour Support Service Support and intervention service for tenants and residents affected by anti-social behaviour within the association's housing, providing case management, mediation, and escalation pathways.
• HomeSwapper Mutual Exchange Service Mutual exchange service allowing Arawak Walton tenants to swap their social housing home with another social housing tenant via the national HomeSwapper platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% tenant satisfaction with overall service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BME NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collective of over 60 BME housing associations operating within England under the auspices of the National Housing Federation. BME National influences national housing policy and provides a consultative and promotional platform for BME housing issues. Arawak Walton's Chief Executive Cym D'Souza was elected Chair of BME National in 2014 and the association sits on the Executive Task Group.
• National Housing FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe body that represents the independent social housing sector. Arawak Walton is a member and participates in sector initiatives including the 'Owning our Future' campaign.
• North West Housing ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA forum that lobbies government for funds to address the Northern regions housing and regeneration needs. Arawak Walton sits on the Forum's advisory group tasked with identifying North West housing priorities.
• Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA unique partnership of housing providers working together to make a positive difference to people and communities across Greater Manchester.
• Manchester Strategic Housing PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local partnership enabling Arawak Walton to raise issues affecting the communities they serve and ensure stakeholders see them as having a key role in achieving their objectives.
• Trafford Joint Commissioning PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local commissioning partnership where Arawak Walton works with Trafford Borough Council on housing provision.
• North West Community Housing Associations (NWCHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of community based housing associations operating in the North of England where Arawak Walton plays a major role in influencing housing strategy.
• Manchester MovecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA partnership where Manchester Move advertises ready-to-rent homes from around 18 not-for-profit landlords. Arawak Walton receives nominations from Manchester Move, with approximately half of their available homes allocated through this scheme.
• HomeswapperminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA nationwide website that assists tenants to find suitable mutual exchanges. Arawak Walton tenants can access this service for free.
• Lloyds Bank Arts for EstatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity mural project partnership celebrating and enhancing local areas, such as the Cheetham Hill Mural Project.
• S4B Partner of Onward HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSharon Thomas, a board member, works as a Social Investment Specialist at S4B partner of Onward Homes, representing a professional connection.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Great Places Housing Group: Large North West housing association operating across Greater Manchester. CEO Ulfat Hussain previously held senior roles at Great Places, evidencing comparable operating scale, regulatory exposure, and customer base.
• Peabody: Major London-headquartered housing association with an extensive UK-wide portfolio. Serves as a sector reference point for tenant digital platforms, asset-management scale, and the trajectory of UK social housing regulation that smaller associations must follow.
• Onward Homes: Large North West housing association with significant stock in Greater Manchester. Arawak Walton board member Sharon Thomas works at S4B, a partner of Onward Homes, evidencing close professional overlap in the North West operating environment.
• Riverside Housing: One of the UK's largest social housing landlords operating across multiple regions including the North West. Provides the scale benchmark for procurement, digital platform investment and regulatory engagement that smaller associations like Arawak Walton must match.
• Home Group: One of the UK's largest housing associations, providing a national benchmark for operating scale and digital tenant services against which Arawak Walton's AW Connect platform will be measured. CEO Ulfat Hussain previously held senior roles at Home Group.
• Your Housing Group: Large North West and Midlands housing association with overlapping customer base in Greater Manchester. Arawak Walton's Operations Director previously held senior positions at Your Housing Group.

Direct peers

• One Manchester: Major Greater Manchester housing association managing tens of thousands of homes across Manchester. Arawak Walton's Operations Director Michael Redford joined directly from One Manchester, indicating overlapping operating models and labour market for senior staff.
• Irwell Valley Housing Association: North West housing association with comparable size, geographic focus on Greater Manchester, and similar points-based letting model. Operations Director Michael Redford previously held senior positions at Irwell Valley.
• Mosscare St Vincent's Housing: Manchester-based Black and Minority Ethnic-led housing association operating in overlapping inner-city geographies with a comparable specialist cultural-communities mission. Arawak Walton and Mosscare St Vincent's regularly partner via Manchester Move and Greater Manchester Housing Providers.
• Manningham Housing Association: Bradford-based BME housing association with an almost identical mission profile to Arawak Walton — culturally-specialist social landlord serving South Asian and African-Caribbean communities. Arawak Walton's current CEO Ulfat Hussain was previously Deputy CE at Manningham, making it the closest functional twin.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arawakwalton
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArawakWalton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arawak-walton-housing-association-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arawak Walton Housing Association