HOUSING FOR WOMEN

What HOUSING FOR WOMEN does

Housing for Women is a London-based registered charity (Charity Commission No 211351) and social landlord (Regulator of Social Housing No L0970) founded in 1934 that provides affordable housing and gender-specific support services for women and their families. The organization manages over 920 homes across 11 London boroughs and operates a portfolio of specialized supported-housing programs including SafeSpace (for survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery), ReConnect+ (for women leaving prison with substance misuse and complex needs), ReUnite (for prison-leavers rebuilding family relationships), Domestic Abuse Services (refuges in Ealing and Greenwich, plus helplines and floating support), and the New Ground co-housing scheme for women over 50 in High Barnet. Residents access services through a Customer Portal (hfw.homemaster.co.uk) for rent payments, repair reporting, account management, and complaints; repairs are delivered through partner Chigwell Group and rent collection is outsourced to Touchstone Property Services since December 2023.

The business model combines six income streams: monthly social rent payments from 920+ tenancies (due first of each month via direct debit, standing order, Allpay, PayPoint, or telephone); individual donations including Friends of HfW recurring gifts from £5/month via JustGiving; corporate partnerships with QuickBooks, Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Sainsbury's, Savoo, and Fierce Grace; trust and foundation grants; legacy gifts; and service charges for shared-area maintenance. New residents cannot self-refer; access is via local authority referrals (Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Lewisham, Southwark, Westminster, Barnet), approved referral agencies, or choice-based lettings, with internal transfers and Home Swapper/Housing Moves mutual exchanges also available. Fundraising channels span the annual London Walk, Amazon Smile, MailChimp newsletters, and a multi-platform social media presence.

The organization is undergoing leadership transition, with Chief Executive Zaiba Qureshi stepping down in September 2026 and Alison Muir appointed as incoming CEO. Operational focus in 2022–2023 has been on technology modernization (new Housing Management System) and customer service standardization (single phone line and email under a 'Back to Basics' initiative), with a parallel Gordon Place divestiture in July 2021 reflecting active portfolio management. As a charity and regulated social landlord with no parent company, venture backing, or equity investors, Housing for Women is funded entirely through its diversified operating income and philanthropic base.

Name

HOUSING FOR WOMEN

Legal name

Housing for Women

Website

https://hfw.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Housing for Women is a London-based registered charity and social landlord founded in 1934 that manages 920+ affordable homes across 11 boroughs and delivers specialized supported housing for women fleeing domestic abuse, trafficking survivors, women leaving prison, and older women.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing and Supported Accommodation for Women

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (623990), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Senior & Assisted Living Residential Property Management (BPAJAFAE)

Keywords

• Social housing services
• Affordable housing
• Women's support services
• Domestic abuse refuge
• Supported accommodation

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Rent Income: Monthly rent payments from residents for social housing properties. Rent is due on the first day of each month in advance. Direct debit, standing order, online payment, telephone payment, and PayPoint/Post Office payment options available.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations including regular monthly donations from Friends of HfW supporters starting from £5/month, one-time donations via JustGiving, and major gifts from philanthropists.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations providing financial support, employee fundraising, volunteering, and event participation. Partners include QuickBooks, Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Sainsburys, Savoo, and Fierce Grace.
4. Trusts and Foundations Grants: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations supporting specific projects and services for vulnerable women and children.
5. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts left in wills by supporters, providing long-term sustainable funding.
6. Service Charge Income: Charges billed to residents for services such as cleaning and grounds maintenance in shared areas, reviewed annually with one month's notice of changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Housing for Women is a registered charity and social landlord that provides affordable social rent housing and gender-specific support services for women and their families across 11 London boroughs. Its portfolio includes over 920 general needs homes, refuges and floating support for women and children escaping domestic abuse, supported accommodation for survivors of human trafficking (SafeSpace) and women leaving prison with complex needs (ReConnect+), and a pioneering older women's co-housing scheme (New Ground) in High Barnet. Tenancy and support services are delivered alongside an online Customer Portal for rent payments, repairs reporting, and account management.

Product overview

Housing for Women operates as a housing provider and charity offering a portfolio of housing and support services primarily for women in London. The core offering consists of general needs housing providing affordable social rent homes across 11 London boroughs. Specialized services include SafeSpace (for survivors of human trafficking), ReConnect+ (for women leaving prison with substance misuse issues), and comprehensive Domestic Abuse Services including refuges, helplines, floating support, and the Freedom Programme. Residents access services through a Customer Portal for online rent payments, repairs reporting, and communications. The organization serves women and children escaping domestic abuse, survivors of trafficking, women leaving prison, and older women.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeSpace: Supporting women who have been trafficked into the UK for exploitation. Formerly known as RePlace.
• ReConnect+
• ReUnite
• Domestic Abuse Services

Products and services

• General Needs Housing Affordable social rent homes for women and their families across 11 London boroughs, totaling over 920 properties. Applicants must be referred by local councils or approved referral agencies and access housing via choice-based lettings, internal transfers, mutual exchanges through Home Swapper, or the Housing Moves scheme.
• SafeSpace (formerly RePlace) Supported accommodation for single women over 18 who have been trafficked into the UK from outside the EU for exploitation, referred through the National Referral Mechanism. Provides practical, financial, health, emotional, and legal support to help survivors overcome trauma, rebuild their lives, and regain independence.
• ReConnect+ Supported accommodation for women dealing with substance misuse and complex needs on release from prison. Combines housing with holistic support focused on reducing substance misuse, improving emotional well-being, and preventing re-offending.
• ReUnite Support for women leaving prison to secure accommodation and rebuild their families and relationships with their children on release.
• Domestic Abuse Services Comprehensive support for women and children escaping domestic abuse including refuge accommodation with on-site support in Ealing and Greenwich, confidential referral and advice helplines, a floating support service for women in their own homes, a sanctuary scheme providing home security installations, and Freedom Programme workshops.
• Ealing Domestic Violence and Abuse Service (DVA Ealing) Specialist domestic abuse service for women living in the London Borough of Ealing, providing confidential advice and support, emergency accommodation, and onward referrals. Operated by Housing for Women.
• Greenwich Domestic Violence and Abuse Service (DVA Greenwich) Specialist domestic abuse service for women living in the London Borough of Greenwich, providing confidential advice and support, refuge accommodation, sanctuary scheme, and community floating support. Operated by Housing for Women.
• New Ground Co-housing for Older Women Pioneering older women's co-housing scheme in High Barnet consisting of 25 self-contained flats developed in partnership with OWCH and Hanover Housing Association. Designed for women over 50 seeking affordable housing and mutual community support.
• Friends of HfW Regular Giving Programme Regular monthly donation subscription for individual supporters of Housing for Women, starting from £5 per month, processed via JustGiving and providing sustainable funding for the organisation's affordable housing and support services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95 women accommodated in refuges and 100 women supported in the community annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Touchstone Property ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2023Rent collection service partner that began managing rental income collection for Housing for Women from December 2023. Tenants directed to contact Touchstone for account questions.
• Habitat for Humanity Great BritainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian housing partner providing support for housing projects. Logo appears on Housing for Women partners page.
• SavoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline fundraising partner through which supporters can donate to Housing for Women via savoo.co.uk/charities/housing-for-women
• London Homeless CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizer of the annual London Walk event which brings charities working in homelessness in London together. Housing for Women participates annually in this walk.
• The Connection St Martin's in-the-FieldsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the London Walk event, providing starting and finishing location in Trafalgar Square.
• Older Women's Co-Housing (OWCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with OWCH during development of New Ground, a pioneering women's co-housing scheme of 25 flats in High Barnet for women over 50. Eight rented units for Housing for Women residents made possible by Tudor Trust grant.
• Hanover Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Hanover Housing Association for delivery of the New Ground co-housing project for women over 50 in High Barnet.
• Chigwell GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationRepairs service partner handling all repairs cases from start to finish, aiming to book appointments at first contact and complete repairs in one visit.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Notting Hill Genesis: Large London-focused housing association providing general needs and specialist housing including domestic abuse services. Comparable operating model and London geographic focus but at significantly larger scale.
• Peabody: One of the UK's largest housing associations with extensive London stock and supported housing programs. Comparable as a London social landlord but operates at much greater scale across a broader resident base.
• Shelter: National housing and homelessness charity providing advice, advocacy, and housing services. Comparable in mission around housing access and homelessness prevention but operates UK-wide and at much larger scale with policy/advocacy focus.
• St Mungo's: Major UK homelessness charity providing accommodation, recovery, and outreach services across London and the South. Comparable supported housing and rough-sleeping outreach model intersecting HfW's refuges and floating support services.

Direct peers

• Women's Aid: Federated national charity supporting a network of local domestic abuse services across the UK. Comparable as a women-focused, specialist support provider with overlapping service lines (refuges, helpline, advocacy) similar to HfW's domestic abuse portfolio.
• Look Ahead Housing and Care: UK supported housing and care provider serving vulnerable adults including women fleeing abuse, with both general needs and specialist accommodation. Closely comparable supported housing operating model with specialist programs for vulnerable women.
• Southall Black Sisters: London-based specialist organization supporting Black and minority women facing domestic abuse and related issues. Comparable niche women-only service provider serving similar vulnerable populations within London.
• Refuge: UK's largest specialist domestic abuse charity operating the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and refuge network. Directly comparable to Housing for Women's Domestic Abuse Services (refuges and helplines) and shares the women-focused specialist mission.
• Hanover Housing Association: UK specialist housing association for older people, partnered with Housing for Women on the New Ground co-housing scheme. Comparable provider of housing for older demographics with specialist accommodation focus.
• Hestia Housing & Support: London-based charity providing refuges, supported housing, and recovery services for survivors of domestic abuse, modern slavery, and those with mental health needs. Highly comparable specialist model with overlapping service lines including refuges and trafficking support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Housing4Women
• Facebookfacebook.com/HousingForWomenLondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-for-women
• Instagraminstagram.com/housing4women

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 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 HOUSING FOR WOMEN