Housing 21
Housing 21 is a UK not-for-profit housing association managing over 24,000 Retirement Living and Extra Care properties for older people aged 55+, delivering integrated housing and 48,000+ weekly hours of social care across England.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Housing 21 does
Housing 21 is a UK not-for-profit housing association headquartered in Birmingham, incorporated in 1965 as an Industrial and Provident Society and regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing (C1 status). It manages more than 24,000 properties across England, delivering Retirement Living (independent housing for people aged 55+), Extra Care (self-contained apartments with on-site 24-hour care), Older Person's Shared Ownership, and social rented housing. The organization also delivers over 48,000 hours of social care weekly to Extra Care residents, integrating housing and care delivery into a single operating model. Revenue is generated through recurring rental income, social-care service fees, one-time shared ownership sales, and capital development funded partly through Homes England grants and local authority frameworks.
Operationally, Housing 21 has built a distinctive acquisition-and-integration capability, having onboarded more than 3,000 properties from eight larger housing associations in recent years, including the largest-ever transfer of 1,567 properties from Midland Heart in 2024 and 445 from Clarion in 2025. Its development pipeline targets up to 400 new homes per year, with confirmed projects including a 70-apartment Extra Care scheme at Britannia Mill in Atherstone (completion spring 2028), a 68-apartment scheme in Bridlington, and the recently completed 25-apartment Rupali Court co-housing development in Birmingham. Technology infrastructure is conventional: a website-based property search and resident portal, digital call systems in acquired schemes, and a Microsoft 365 Copilot pilot covering under 5% of staff for meeting productivity. The organization is currently considering a merger with The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, which would significantly consolidate the UK's specialist later-living sector.
Housing 21 employs between 5,001 and 10,000 people, supported by an in-house Housing Academy and Extra Care Academy training infrastructure, and holds Investors in People Platinum, Cyber Essentials, Disability Confident Employer, RSPCA Pawprints Silver, and Glassdoor Best Places to Work (2024) accreditations. Its value proposition centers on being a specialist older-persons landlord with dementia-friendly design standards, integrated care provision, and a track record of seamlessly absorbing stock divested by larger generalist associations.
Housing 21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Housing 21
- Legal name
- Housing 21
- Website
- https://housing21.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Housing 21 is a UK not-for-profit housing association managing over 24,000 Retirement Living and Extra Care properties for older people aged 55+, delivering integrated housing and 48,000+ weekly hours of social care across England.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Housing 21 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Senior Housing and Social Care
- NAICS
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Senior & Assisted Living Residential Property Management (BPAJAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH)
Keywords
Where Housing 21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Housing 21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Rental Income: Housing 21 generates revenue through rental payments from residents in their Extra Care and Retirement Living properties across the UK.
- Social Care Services: Revenue from providing over 48,000 hours of social care each week to residents in Extra Care schemes.
- Property Development and Sales: Development of new properties for sale including Shared Ownership schemes where older people can purchase a share of their property.
- Procurement Spending: As a not-for-profit housing association, Housing 21 spends over £100 million annually on goods, works and services from contractors to deliver services to residents.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Housing 21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Housing 21 is a not-for-profit housing association that provides Retirement Living and Extra Care housing for people aged 55 and over across England, managing over 24,000 properties and delivering more than 48,000 hours of social care each week. Its core offerings are self-contained Extra Care apartments with 24-hour on-site care, independent Retirement Living properties, social rented homes, and Older Person's Shared Ownership (part-buy, part-rent). The portfolio is expanded through new construction (up to 400 homes per year) and acquisitions from other housing associations, with subsequent investment in refurbishments and digital call systems.
Product overview
Housing 21 is a not-for-profit provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care housing for older people, operating as a single integrated platform of housing and care services. The core offering consists of Extra Care (independent living with 24-hour on-site care) and Retirement Living (independent housing for over 55s), supplemented by Older Person's Shared Ownership (part-buy, part-rent), and social rented housing. The portfolio includes over 400 schemes across England, managing over 24,000 properties and providing approximately 48,000 hours of social care weekly. Specialised offerings include co-housing schemes like Rupali Court where residents participate in community design, the Housing Academy for sector training, and the Extra Care Academy for care professional development. New developments focus on dementia-friendly design and net zero carbon standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Extra Care Self-contained apartments for people aged 55 and over with on-site care and support available 24 hours a day, enabling residents to live independently while having access to personalised care services.
- Retirement Living Independent living properties for people aged 55 and over, offering safe communities with varying levels of support available as needed.
- Renting a Home Social rented housing options for eligible individuals and families, managed as part of Housing 21's overall housing portfolio.
- Older Person's Shared Ownership Part-buy, part-rent scheme allowing older people to purchase a share of a property while paying rent on the remaining share, making homeownership more accessible in later life.
- Rupali Court Co-housing Innovative co-housing development where residents actively participate in community design and governance, featuring 25 apartments in Birmingham's Lozells area with communal spaces including a residents' lounge, multi-faith room, and communal garden.
- New Developments Development programme committed to building up to 400 new properties per year, including Extra Care and Retirement Living schemes across England, with focus on dementia-friendly design and sustainability standards including net zero carbon developments.
- Acquisitions of Retirement Living and Extra Care Schemes Property acquisitions from other housing associations, transferring retirement living and extra care schemes to Housing 21's portfolio with investment in refurbishments and upgrades, including digital call systems.
- Social Care Services Provision of over 48,000 hours of social care each week to residents, supporting daily living activities and enabling independent living within Extra Care properties.
- Housing Academy Training programme for developing skills in the housing sector, with cohorts of students graduating from the academy to work in housing and care.
- Extra Care Academy Specialised training programme focused on care skills and professional development for Extra Care housing staff.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £500k saved for residents through ground-breaking financial initiatives like the Helping Hands Fund and Tenancy Gurus programme
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Housing 21
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Housing 21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Housing 21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Deeley ConstructioncoreConstruction partner for Britannia Mill hat factory regeneration project in Atherstone, delivering 70 affordable extra care properties. Deeley Construction is carrying out demolition work and will build the new development with completion expected spring 2028.
- Deeley ConstructioncoreBuilt the £10.6m Rupali Court co-housing development in Birmingham's Lozells area, featuring 25 apartments. Development was shaped by local residents over a six-year period and transforms a site vacant for nearly 40 years.
- Esh ConstructioncoreCompleted fitting the final timber frame on a £25 million affordable housing development in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, which includes a 68-apartment extra care base for Housing 21. This is Yorkshire Housing's first zero-gas site.
- Canal & River TrustminorCollaboration with Canal & River Trust required to manage partial canal closure during demolition works at the Britannia Mill site in Atherstone.
- North Warwickshire Borough CouncilminorSupported the Britannia Mill development project, facilitating the regeneration of the 20-year vacant site for affordable housing.
- GLPGminorReal estate group that brokered the land sale and development deal for the Britannia Mill hat factory regeneration in Atherstone.
- Vistry North EastcorePartnership with housebuilder for Extra Care and Retirement Living developments. Multiple sites have been recognized in Quality Recognition Awards, with three sites recognized to date.
- The ExtraCare Charitable TrustflagshipHousing 21 and The ExtraCare Charitable Trust are considering a merger, announced as a strategic initiative to combine expertise in later living housing and care.
- Sandwell CouncilcorePartnership with Sandwell Council for housing development and community initiatives.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Housing 21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Orbit Group: Large UK housing association providing general-needs and specialist older-people housing with care services. Comparable funding model (Homes England grants, social rents) and care-plus-housing offer.
- Notting Hill Genesis: Major UK housing association with supported housing and older-people services alongside general-needs homes. Comparable as a large regulated housing association using government rent settlements and Homes England funding.
- Sanctuary Housing: Large UK housing association providing general-needs and supported housing including older-people schemes. A broader housing portfolio than Housing 21 but operates the same not-for-profit, regulated housing-association model with care delivery capability.
- LiveWest: Major South-West England housing association providing general-needs housing alongside supported and older-people services. Comparable not-for-profit housing-association model with similar funding structures and regulatory regime.
- Bromford: Large UK housing association with a portfolio spanning general and supported housing including older-people accommodation. Operates the same regulatory and funding framework as Housing 21, with growing focus on retirement living.
- Guinness Partnership: Not-for-profit provider of affordable housing, including homes for older people, with care and support services. Comparable not-for-profit model and supported-housing customer base.
Direct peers
- Anchor Hanover Group: The UK's largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people, operating 60,000+ properties through Retirement Living, Extra Care and Shared Ownership. Directly comparable specialist older-people housing portfolio, scale and not-for-profit governance model, making it Housing 21's closest peer.
- Hanover Housing Association: Not-for-profit specialist in housing for older people, providing retirement and sheltered housing across England. Operates the same customer segment and not-for-profit housing-association model as Housing 21.
- The ExtraCare Charitable Trust: UK specialist in Extra Care housing for older people, with a similar model of combining housing with on-site care and a charitable ownership structure. Listed as Housing 21's exploratory merger partner, making it the most directly comparable service and operating model.
Emerging players
- McCarthy & Stone / Churchill Retirement Living: Private-sector developer and operator of retirement living apartments for older people. Operates in the same customer segment (over-60s/over-65s) and product category (retirement living, extra care) as Housing 21 but on a commercial, for-sale or private rental basis rather than social/affordable housing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Housing 21 social profiles
Digital presenceHousing 21 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Housing 21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Housing 21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Housing 21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Housing 21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Housing 21
What does Housing 21 do?
Housing 21 is a not-for-profit housing association that provides Retirement Living and Extra Care housing for people aged 55 and over across England, managing over 24,000 properties and delivering more than 48,000 hours of social care each week. Its core offerings are self-contained Extra Care apartments with 24-hour on-site care, independent Retirement Living properties, social rented homes, and Older Person's Shared Ownership (part-buy, part-rent). The portfolio is expanded through new construction (up to 400 homes per year) and acquisitions from other housing associations, with subsequent investment in refurbishments and digital call systems.
Is Housing 21 a public or private company?
Housing 21 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Housing 21 founded?
Housing 21 was founded in 1965. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Housing 21 based?
Housing 21 is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Housing 21 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Rental Income is the primary driver. The others are social Care Services, property Development and Sales and procurement Spending.
Who are Housing 21's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Orbit Group, Notting Hill Genesis, Sanctuary Housing, LiveWest, Bromford and Guinness Partnership. Direct peers are Anchor Hanover Group, Hanover Housing Association and The ExtraCare Charitable Trust. McCarthy & Stone / Churchill Retirement Living is listed as an emerging player.
Does Housing 21 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Housing 21.
What industry is Housing 21 in?
Housing 21's product category is Senior Housing and Social Care. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAE, Senior & Assisted Living Residential Property Management, with a secondary code of FSALAKAH, Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs. Its NAICS code is 62331 and its SIC code is 6531.