North Star Housing Group

What North Star Housing Group does

North Star Housing Group is a non-profit registered provider of social and affordable housing in North East England, operating approximately 3,500 homes across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear. The organisation was formed in 2006 by bringing together Endeavour Housing Association (founded 1974) and Teesdale Housing Association, with Darlington Housing Association joining the group in 2016 and the three entities fully unifying into a single organisation in 2020. It is governed by an 11-member Board, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing, and structured as a charitable private company limited by guarantee.

The operating model centres on direct-to-tenant housing provision spanning general needs renting, new build developments, supported housing (including the John Pease Cottages subsidiary), shared ownership, rent to buy, and mutual exchanges. Core service delivery includes a 24/7 responsive and emergency repairs operation (outsourced to contractor partners including 0800 Repair on a £2.5m five-year heating contract and Orbis Protect for out-of-hours emergencies), a planned home improvement programme covering kitchens, bathrooms, roofing, windows and heating systems (delivered via a five-year partnership with Esh Construction), and statutory health and safety compliance across gas, electrical, fire, asbestos, water hygiene and lift equipment, with a specialised Damp, Mould and Condensation case handler system aligned to Awaab's Law. Technology infrastructure is non-differentiated and process-oriented: standard housing management systems, the North Star Online tenant portal for rent payment (via allpayments) and repair reporting, the Recite Me accessibility toolbar, and independent quarterly tenant satisfaction surveying by TLF Research benchmarked against Housemark.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly rent-driven, with residential rents set under the government formula of September CPI plus 1% (resulting in a 4.8% increase from April 2026, with 34p of every pound allocated to maintenance, 26p to new build, and the balance to staff, mortgage interest, long-term investment, customer services and overhead). Service charges on properties with communal facilities carry a 15% administration fee, and supported accommodation generates additional management charges. Welfare benefits and community grants are social outflows rather than revenue. The organisation markets through its own website, customer magazines, community engagement events, Your Voice tenant groups, and benchmarking partnerships, with no external marketing channel of meaningful scale.

Name

North Star Housing Group

Legal name

North Star Housing Group Limited

Website

https://northstarhg.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

North Star Housing Group is a non-profit housing association providing approximately 3,500 affordable, social, and supported homes across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear in North East England, delivering integrated tenancy, repairs, compliance, and welfare-support services to a broad tenant base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC), Co-Living Property Management (BPAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Affordable housing services
• Social housing rentals
• Housing association management
• Tenant support services
• Community housing development

Headquarters

HQ city

Thornaby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Residential Rents: Primary revenue stream from approximately 3,500 homes across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear. Rent increases annually by inflation (September) plus 1% per government guidance. Rent increase of 4.8% from April 2026.
2. Service Charges: Charges for tenants in properties with shared areas or facilities. Covers services such as cleaning, grounds maintenance, fire safety equipment, communal gas/electricity, lift maintenance. Administration fee of 15% on total service charge. Additional management charge for supported accommodation.
3. Community Grants (Charitable Outflow): Offers grants of up to £2,500 to community projects. This is a charitable outflow rather than revenue, supporting their social value mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

North Star Housing Group is a not-for-profit housing association that provides and manages approximately 3,500 affordable rental homes across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham and Tyne and Wear. Its offering spans social and supported housing tenancies, responsive and planned repairs, planned home improvements (kitchens, bathrooms, heating, roofing), health and safety compliance, welfare benefits advice, and a community grants programme, supported by a digital tenant portal (North Star Online) for rent payment, repair reporting and tenancy management.

Product overview

North Star Housing Group is a housing association providing affordable housing and related services across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear. The organization operates as a single unified entity since 2020, combining former Endeavour, Teesdale, and Darlington Housing Associations. The core offering centers on affordable rented housing through approximately 3,500 homes, supported by integrated digital services including the North Star Online tenant portal and allpayments system for rent management. Core operational services include responsive and emergency repairs (delivered through contractor partnerships), planned home improvements (kitchen, bathroom, heating, roofing upgrades), health and safety compliance management, and welfare benefits advice. The organization also provides community grants, supported housing, new build developments, and specialist initiatives including damp/mould remediation under Awaab's Law, domestic abuse support, and the Housing Perks discount app for customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing (Renting) Social and affordable rented housing across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear, including general needs and supported housing options. Tenants apply through a competitive bidding allocation system and pay government-regulated affordable rents.
• New Build Properties New affordable housing developments across current, recent and pipeline developments in the North East region, developed and managed by North Star to expand its affordable rented housing portfolio.
• Supported Housing Specialist housing with additional support services for people who need extra assistance to live independently, including those with disabilities, mental health conditions or experiencing domestic abuse. Delivered in part through the wholly-owned subsidiary John Pease Cottages.
• North Star Online Digital tenant portal providing access to housing services, rent payments via the allpayments integration, repair reporting and tenancy management through a mobile app and web platform.
• Report a Repair Online and telephone system for tenants to report routine, emergency and urgent repairs including damp, mould and condensation issues, with 24/7 emergency response routed to out-of-hours contractor Orbis Protect.
• Health and Safety Compliance Services Annual safety testing and compliance services covering gas, electrical, fire, asbestos, water (legionella) and lift safety checks across approximately 3,500 homes, with annual spend above £775,000 on these programmes.
• Planned Home Improvements Annual programme of major improvement works including kitchen renewals, bathroom renewals, boiler replacements, roof renewals, window replacements and external door replacements to maintain homes to Decent Homes Standards, delivered via long-term contractor partnerships such as the five-year Esh Construction contract.
• Welfare Benefits and Money Advice Specialist advice service helping tenants maximise income, understand the benefits system, apply for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, and access financial support for energy costs and food. The Welfare Benefits Team secured more than £1 million in additional benefits for customers in 2024/25.
• Housing Perks Free mobile app providing North Star customers with exclusive discounts from over 100 brands on supermarkets, fuel, clothing and days out.
• Community Grants Grant programme offering up to £2,500 to community projects linked to priorities including No Poverty, Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education and Sustainable Cities and Communities. Operated as a charitable outflow supporting social value.
• Universal Credit Helper Online benefits calculator and guidance tool, developed in partnership with the Hyde Foundation, to help customers assess Universal Credit eligibility and navigate the application process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer satisfaction with overall service: 85.3% (2025/26)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Esh ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Five-year planned maintenance partnership with Esh Construction's affordable housing division. Partnership began in 2023. Maintained 95% customer satisfaction rate in third year, completing over 200 property upgrades including 127 kitchens, 56 bathrooms, 24 cloakrooms, and 10 level access showers across Tees Valley.
• 0800 RepaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year, £2.5 million contract for heating servicing and maintenance across approximately 3,500 homes. Services include annual statutory servicing, landlord gas safety records, safety checks, and 24/7 responsive repairs. Previously worked with North Star for four years achieving first-time fix rates above 90%.
• ProcurePlusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework provider for Installation and Repair Framework through which 0800 Repair contract was awarded following competitive tender process.
• Little SproutsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner running community shops, lunch clubs, cooking workshops, community gardens and family pop-up events for Stockton and Thornaby communities. Also provides Level 2 Food Hygiene training.
• Community GroceryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLow-cost food shopping membership available to North Star customers. £5 annual membership for access to fresh produce, shelf items, fridge/freezer items, and bakery items. Small shop: 12 items for £5, Medium: 18 for £7.50, Large: 24 for £10.
• HousemarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation used by North Star to benchmark performance against other landlords in the housing sector.
• Housing Diversity Network (HDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Board Diversity Programme launched with Beyond Housing, Gentoo, Thirteen Group, and HDN to develop future Board members and increase diversity at Board level. First cohort of twelve trainees completed programme. Second round launched in summer 2025 with four new trainees.
• Beyond HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Board Diversity Programme for developing future Board members.
• GentoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Board Diversity Programme for developing future Board members.
• Thirteen GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Board Diversity Programme for developing future Board members.
• Business in the Community (BITC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory of BITC Race at Work Charter. Partnership for EDI initiatives and diversity programmes.
• Ian WilliamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintenance contractor partnership for repairs and home improvements. Contractor branding visible on service vans showing ongoing partnership with North Star.
• Orbis ProtectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOut-of-hours emergency repairs contractor. Handles emergency repair calls outside office hours (03000 11 00 11 redirected to Orbis Protect).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Home Group: Large UK housing association headquartered in Newcastle with around 116,000 homes across the North East and nationally. Comparable in core operating model despite much larger scale, providing social and affordable rented housing alongside supported housing services.
• Yorkshire Housing: Regional housing association with around 20,000 homes across Yorkshire providing affordable rented housing and supported living services. Comparable business model with similar tenant services, planned maintenance programmes, and digital platform investments.
• Hyde: Large UK housing association partnering with North Star through the Hyde Foundation on the Universal Credit Helper tool. Comparable not-for-profit structure providing affordable rented housing, supported housing, and shared ownership across multiple UK regions.
• Gentoo Group: Sunderland-based housing association with around 28,000 homes serving the North East. Directly comparable as a regional provider of affordable rented housing in adjacent North East geographies with similar tenant demographics and asset profiles.
• Believe Housing: Redcar-based housing association with around 18,000 homes serving Tees Valley. Highly comparable given immediate geographic overlap, similar tenant base, and equivalent business model focused on affordable rented housing in the same region.
• Bernicia Group: North East housing association headquartered in Newcastle with around 14,000 homes. Strongly comparable as a regional affordable housing provider operating across Tyne and Wear and County Durham with similar tenant and asset profiles to North Star.
• Thirteen Group: North East England housing association with around 34,000 homes, directly partnering with North Star on the Board Diversity Programme. Comparable as a regional housing association providing affordable rented homes and tenant services across similar North East geographies.
• Beyond Housing: Lancashire-based housing association with approximately 15,000 homes that is a coalition partner with North Star in the Board Diversity Programme. Directly comparable business model providing affordable rented housing, repairs, and tenant support services through a not-for-profit structure.
• Karbon Homes: North East England housing association with around 30,000 homes providing affordable rented housing and supported living services. Comparable in operational scale, regional footprint, and mixed-stock model including supported housing.
• Longhurst Group: Midlands and East of England housing association with around 23,000 homes. Comparable as a not-for-profit provider of affordable rented housing with integrated tenant support, planned maintenance programmes, and similar compliance focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/northstarhg
• Facebookfacebook.com/northstarhg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-star-housing-group

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 North Star Housing Group