Ekaya Housing Association

What Ekaya Housing Association does

Ekaya Housing Association is a not-for-profit registered society founded in 1987 and headquartered in Stockwell, London. It operates as a registered social landlord regulated by the Homes & Communities Agency, managing approximately 500 affordable housing properties across seven to eight South London boroughs (Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Croydon, Bromley, Greenwich, and Merton). The organisation was established to serve culturally disadvantaged groups, primarily Black and ethnic minority women, their families, and other vulnerable populations, and positions itself as a specialist BME housing association.

The core offering consists of General Needs Housing (standard affordable rented accommodation) and Supported Housing with floating support services targeted at young people and teenage parents. Distribution is through local authority referrals, statutory agencies, and voluntary organisations rather than self-referrals. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Happy Nursery Days, provides childcare services in Tulse Hill, Lambeth. The portfolio was recently expanded through the Quest Court development in Croydon (16 affordable homes, completed May 2024), which added the 500th property.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: general needs rents and service charges, shared ownership properties, contracts with local authorities for floating support services, estate management, and nursery fees supplemented by local authority top-up grants. There is no public technology platform; the only third-party integration is with HomeSwapper for mutual exchange. The organisation is governed by a Board with tenant representation, supported by Audit & Risk, Policy & Performance, and Remuneration and Governance committees. Recognised with Investor in People Gold accreditation, and CEO Ben Laryea received Inside Housing's 2024 Inspirational Leader of the Year award.

Name

Ekaya Housing Association

Legal name

Ekaya Housing Association

Website

https://ekaya.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ekaya Housing Association is a not-for-profit registered social landlord founded in 1987, managing approximately 500 affordable homes across seven South London boroughs for BME communities, young people, and teenage parents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

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. General Needs Rents and Service Charges: Rental income from general needs housing properties, including weekly rent and service charges for communal areas such as lighting to blocks of flats.
2. Shared Ownership Properties: Revenue from shared ownership housing where residents purchase a percentage share of their property.
3. Contracts with Local Authorities: Contracts with local authorities to deliver support services, including floating support to young people and teenage parents in temporary accommodation.
4. Estate Management Services: Providing estate management services as part of their housing management operations.
5. Happy Nursery Days Subsidiary: Fees from Happy Nursery Days subsidiary providing quality childcare to children in Tulse Hill, Lambeth, with local authority top-up grants supporting operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ekaya Housing Association is a not-for-profit registered society providing affordable rented housing and supported accommodation across seven South London boroughs. It manages approximately 500 properties, delivers floating support services to young people and teenage parents, and operates Happy Nursery Days, a wholly-owned childcare subsidiary in Lambeth. Residents access homes via referrals from local authority homeless persons units, statutory agencies, and voluntary organisations rather than self-referral.

Product overview

Ekaya Housing Association operates as a not-for-profit housing provider offering a portfolio of approximately 500 affordable rented properties across seven south London boroughs (Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Croydon, Bromley, Greenwich, and Merton). The core offerings consist of General Needs Housing for standard affordable accommodation and Supported Housing providing floating support for young people and teenage parents. These are complemented by a subsidiary childcare operation (Happy Nursery Days), tenant satisfaction measurement programs, customer involvement opportunities, and mutual exchange services via HomeSwapper. The portfolio was recently expanded through the Quest Court development in Croydon, marking the organisation's 500th property milestone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Needs Housing Standard rented housing properties providing affordable accommodation for individuals and families who meet eligibility criteria, with rent set using a Government formula and at least four weeks' notice before changes. Ekaya manages approximately 500 such properties across seven South London boroughs.
• Supported Housing Temporary accommodation with floating support services for young people and teenage parents, providing varying levels of support to help residents maintain independence in their own homes, including assistance with parenting skills, education, health, and community integration. Residents are referred via local authority special housing units, homeless persons units, statutory agencies, and voluntary organisations.
• Happy Nursery Days Subsidiary childcare operation providing quality childcare services to children in Tulse Hill, Lambeth since September 2004. Offers high standards of childcare in a safe environment with spacious playrooms and an eco-friendly garden area, with operations supported by local authority top-up grants alongside parental fees.
• Quest Court 16-unit affordable housing development at 139 Sanderstead Road in Croydon, comprising five 1-bedroom, nine 2-bedroom, and two 3-bedroom units with nine parking spaces. Delivered through the Build London Partnership with L&Q and Rocco Homes Ltd, with GLA grant funding, and acquired to add to Ekaya's general needs housing portfolio, marking the organisation's 500th property milestone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39% resident satisfaction with services (from Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

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

• SW9 Community HousingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2024Partnership for Resident Fun Day event on 7th September 2024, attracting approximately 368 residents combined from both organisations.
• National Housing Federation (NHF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2024Ekaya is endorsing and supporting the pre-election campaign of the NHF calling for a long-term plan for housing. As a BME Housing Association, they have seen first-hand the devastating impact of homelessness on people from Black and Asian backgrounds.
• Build London Partnership (with L&Q)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2024Build London Partnership working with London and Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q) to deliver affordable housing development. L&Q secured grant funding from Greater London Authority (GLA) for Quest Court development of 16 affordable homes in Croydon.
• Rocco Homes LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Quest Court development at 139 Sanderstead Road in Croydon, delivering 16 new affordable homes.
• Southwark London DiocesanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working arrangement for improving service quality and strengthening offerings to service users.
• New World Housing AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working for improving service quality and strengthening offerings to service users.
• Housing for WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working for improving service quality and strengthening offerings to service users.
• Lambeth and Southwark Housing AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working for improving service quality and strengthening offerings to service users.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Housing for Women: A specialist London housing association providing affordable homes and support services primarily to women. Named as an Ekaya partnership working collaborator; directly comparable in mission-driven, specialist housing association model and BME/women-focused resident base.
• Habinteg: A specialist housing association focused on providing accessible homes for disabled people. Comparable as a mission-driven, specialist (rather than generalist) housing association operating in London with an equity-focused resident mandate.
• Origin Housing: A North London housing association providing affordable rented, shared ownership, and supported housing. Directly comparable as a mid-sized London-focused housing association with similar general needs and supported housing product mix.
• SW9 Community Housing: A small Stockwell-based housing association operating in Lambeth, listed as a partnership working collaborator with Ekaya and joint host of the September 2024 Resident Fun Day. Highly comparable as a small, place-based community housing association in the same core borough.

Broad incumbents

• Network Homes: A medium-sized housing association operating across London and the South East, providing affordable rent, shared ownership, and supported housing. Comparable operating model and product mix to Ekaya, though at a meaningfully larger scale.
• Peabody: One of the largest housing associations in London, operating over 67,000 homes across the capital. Directly comparable in that it provides affordable rented housing and supported housing across many of the same South London boroughs, though Peabody is far larger and not BME-specialist.
• Octavia Housing: A West London-based housing association providing affordable homes, care, and support services. Comparable in offering a mix of general needs housing plus supported accommodation and community services, with overlapping London operating territory.
• Soverign Housing Association: A large southern England housing association providing general needs and supported housing. Directly comparable housing association model; one of Ekaya's recent NED appointments serves as Regional Director at Sovereign, indicating active sector overlap.
• L&Q: One of the UK's largest housing associations and a strategic development partner of Ekaya through the Build London Partnership. Operates affordable and shared ownership housing across London and the South East, directly comparable in core product offering despite much larger scale.
• Notting Hill Genesis: A major London housing association formed from the merger of Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association. Provides general needs and supported housing across London, overlapping directly with Ekaya's geographic and service footprint at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekaya-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ekaya Housing Association