Cornerstone Housing

What Cornerstone Housing does

Cornerstone Housing Limited is an independent, not-for-profit charitable housing association registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (no. L0147) and under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (no. 14457R). Founded in 1926 as the Exeter Workmen's Dwellings Company Ltd and rebranded to its current name in 2008, it operates from headquarters in Exeter and is described as Exeter's largest independent housing association, managing approximately 1,300-1,450 affordable homes across Exeter, Teignbridge, Mid Devon, and East Devon, providing homes to roughly 3,000 residents. The organisation runs a hybrid housing portfolio comprising three core tenures: affordable rented homes (allocated primarily through Devon Home Choice), shared ownership (typically 40-50% initial share with staircasing), and rent-to-buy via a partnership with Rentplus. Supporting services include a responsive in-house repairs team (described as over 40 tradespeople), anti-social behaviour handling, an aids and adaptations programme, downsizing support, mutual exchange via House Exchange, and a tenant portal (MyTenancy). Annual expenditure was approximately £13.3-13.5m in 2024/25 across tenancy management, repairs and maintenance, home improvements, new development, and finance costs, with surpluses reinvested into homes and services under its charitable status.

The business operates on subscription-style recurring revenue from social housing rents and service charges, supplemented by one-off receipts from shared ownership initial sales, staircasing fees, and resale administration fees. Go-to-market mixes a community-led approach (Resident Engagement Panel, Estate Champions, section 106 local connection requirements) with digital channels (website, MyTenancy portal, Rightmove/Zoopla/Share to Buy/Solo Homes for shared ownership). The 2025-30 Development Strategy targets 400 new homes over five years, scaling toward 100 per year by 2029, alongside targets for energy efficiency (85.1% of stock at EPC C or above) and customer satisfaction (86.7% resident satisfaction vs 79% national average). Technology is operational rather than strategic: payment processing via AllPay, MyTenancy tenant portal, House Exchange integration, and a WCAG 2.2 AA compliant public website. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or external investors; ownership and control rest with a voluntary Board overseen by the Regulator of Social Housing.

Name

Cornerstone Housing

Legal name

Cornerstone Housing Limited

Website

https://cornerstonehousing.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Housing is Exeter's largest independent not-for-profit housing association, managing approximately 1,300-1,450 affordable rented, shared ownership, and rent-to-buy homes across Exeter and surrounding Devon areas for around 3,000 residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing Services

NAICS

New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116), Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO)

Keywords

• Social housing provider
• Affordable rental homes
• Shared ownership housing
• Rent to buy scheme
• Housing association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Housing Rents: Rental income from over 1300-1450 social housing properties across Exeter, Teignbridge, Mid Devon and East Devon. Income is reinvested into homes and services as a not-for-profit charity.
2. Shared Ownership: Shared ownership homes where purchasers buy 40-50% initial share and pay rent on remaining share. Includes staircasing fees, resale administration fees, and nomination fees.
3. Rent to Buy: Rentplus rent-to-buy scheme offering discounted rent at 80% of market rent with option to purchase home after 5, 10, 15 or 20 years.
4. Service Charges: Service charges for communal areas, grounds maintenance and cleaning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Housing is a not-for-profit charitable housing association that provides approximately 1,300–1,450 affordable rented homes plus shared ownership and rent-to-buy homes across Exeter, Teignbridge, Mid Devon, and East Devon. It supplements these core housing tenures with in-house property maintenance, a responsive repairs service, anti-social behaviour management, a tenant portal, a contents insurance scheme, a Resident Engagement Panel, and resident support services such as downsizing assistance, aids and adaptations, and partnerships for financial and energy wellbeing.

Product overview

Cornerstone Housing is Exeter's largest independent housing association providing approximately 1,400 affordable homes across Exeter, Teignbridge, Mid Devon, and East Devon. The organization operates as a portfolio of housing services rather than a single product, including three core housing tenures: Affordable Rented Homes, Shared Ownership (part-buy part-rent), and Rent To Buy (Rentplus). Supporting services include a responsive repairs service, anti-social behaviour reporting, a tenant portal (My Account), the My Home Contents Insurance Scheme, a Resident Engagement Panel, and support services such as downsizing assistance and aids/adaptations. The organization also provides resident information through a Tenant Handbook and supports mutual home exchanges. All services are focused on providing safe, stable, affordable housing and building thriving communities in Devon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Rented Homes Affordable, high-quality rented housing across Exeter and surrounding Devon areas providing homes for approximately 3,000 people at affordable rent levels, for individuals and families in housing need.
• Shared Ownership Homes A part-buy, part-rent scheme allowing purchasers to buy a share of a property (typically 40–50% initially, up to 75%) while paying subsidised rent on the remaining share, with the ability to staircase to 100% ownership over time; for households with income under £80,000.
• Rent to Buy (Rentplus) A rent-to-buy scheme offering discounted rent at 80% of market rate with a 10% gifted deposit from Rentplus, giving tenants the option to purchase their home after 5, 10, 15, or 20 years.
• Report a Repair Service A responsive repairs service allowing tenants to report maintenance issues, covering emergency repairs, planned works, voids, and component replacement.
• Report Anti-Social Behaviour Service A service for reporting anti-social behaviour incidents, with support for victims and coordination with police and local authorities.
• My Home Contents Insurance Scheme A flexible and affordable contents insurance policy specifically designed for social housing residents, provided through Thistle Insurance Services Ltd in partnership with the National Housing Federation.
• Mutual Exchange Service A home swapping service enabling social housing tenants to exchange homes with other social housing tenants across the UK, with permission from all landlords involved.
• Downsizing Support Service Support service for tenants wishing to downsize to a smaller home, including financial assistance of up to £1,300 towards moving costs.
• Right to Acquire Scheme A scheme allowing eligible tenants to purchase their rented home at a discounted price.
• Aids and Adaptations Service Support for tenants requiring adaptations to their homes, including accessibility modifications.
• Healthy Homes Service Services addressing health and safety in homes including condensation, damp and mould management, and fire safety.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86.7% resident satisfaction with overall service (vs 79% national average)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Westcountry Savings and LoanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCredit union partnership providing affordable loans and savings accounts to Cornerstone residents. Part of Credit Union Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) with other social housing partners in the South West. Residents can join free and select 'Cornerstone resident' for membership eligibility.
• HomeMaker SouthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne-to-one money advice service providing help with benefits, debts and other money issues. Cornerstone invested £7,760 and helped residents gain £89,539 in financial support in 2024/25 including unclaimed welfare benefits.
• TLC Case ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for short-term enabling services including decluttering support, benefits navigation, and budgeting help to help residents regain independence and maintain tenancies.
• Exeter Community Energy (ECOE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-owned social enterprise providing Healthy Homes for Wellbeing scheme with free practical support including energy tariff checks, Warm Home Discount applications, insulation/heating grants, and smart meter advice. Cornerstone made 29 referrals in 2024/25.
• Exeter Food BankminorOthersFoodbank partnership supporting residents in financial hardship. Cornerstone issued 35 foodbank vouchers to households in need.
• Love Food CICminorOthersWinner of Cornerstone's 2023 annual sponsorship fund. Operates St Thomas Community Food Hub offering pay-what-you-can lunch club, community fridge, and low-cost cooking sessions focused on energy-saving.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Platform Housing Group: Large UK housing association operating primarily in the Midlands but with similar affordable rent, shared ownership and market rent products. Comparable operating model with greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Home Group: Major UK housing association and social enterprise providing affordable rent, shared ownership and supported housing nationally. Same broad product category and not-for-profit charitable structure, but operating at much larger scale with diversified services.
• Sanctuary Housing: One of the UK's largest housing associations providing social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership across England. Same product portfolio but operates at ~100k+ home scale with national geographic reach.
• Origin Housing: London and home counties housing association providing affordable rent, shared ownership and key worker housing. Comparable product mix and operational model, though operating in a different regional housing market.
• Aster Group: Larger housing association with operations across southern England including significant Devon presence. Same broad category (affordable rent, shared ownership) but materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Cornerstone.
• Hyde Group: Large UK housing association providing social rent, affordable rent, shared ownership, and rent-to-buy across southern England. Same broad tenure mix with materially larger portfolio scale.
• Sovereign Housing Association: Large UK housing association operating across southern England including South West. Provides comparable affordable rent and shared ownership products but at significantly greater scale (~85,000 homes).

Direct peers

• Curo: Bath-based housing association operating across the West of England with a similar mid-sized portfolio (~6,500 homes) and comparable mix of affordable rent, shared ownership and market rent. Cornerstone's current CEO previously served as MD of Curo Choice.
• LiveWest: Largest South West housing association, operating across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. Closest geographic and operating peer to Cornerstone, also providing affordable rent, shared ownership, and rent-to-buy in overlapping Devon geographies.
• Coastline Housing: Cornwall-based housing association with a similarly sized rural/regional affordable housing portfolio offering shared ownership and affordable rent. Comparable scale, geography-type focus, and tenant mix to Cornerstone's Devon operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cornerstonehousingpeople
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-housing-limited-exeter

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Cornerstone Housing