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My 40 years in housing
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Aileen Evans
Former CEO, Grand Union Housing Group
Aileen Evans
Former CEO, Grand Union Housing Group
Issue 76 | February 2025
As I step down from Grand Union Housing Group, I find myself reflecting on four decades in a sector that has seen profound change in that time – and yet, in many ways, remains frustratingly unchanged.
In 2014, alongside colleagues like Colin Wiles, Tom Murtha and Alison Inman, I co-founded the SHOUT Campaign. We watched with dismay and disbelief as grant for new homes declined and rents increased. Our research, conducted by Capital Economics, revealed the stunning potential: proper investment in social housing could save taxpayers approximately £1 trillion over 50 years compared to the current reliance on housing benefits.
The government recently announced £500 million for new homes and while that’s a start, 10 years ago we conclusively proved that the real investment required was £5 billion annually – and now, it's closer to £9 billion. This isn't just a number; what that investment will create is real homes for real people.
recently announced government funding for new homes
10 years ago was the real annual investment required
what that annual investment requirement is today
Evolving challenges
When I began my career in inner-city Nottingham, our challenges were radically different. We were engaged in what was then called "slum clearance" – now euphemistically termed "regeneration". Back then, we wrestled with how to let unpopular social rented homes. Today, the very notion is laughable.
Those early days in St Anns taught me profound lessons about homes that I've carried throughout my career. Last year, when we surveyed our customers about what ‘home’ means, their responses resonated deeply with my earliest professional memories. Home isn't just bricks and mortar – it's a feeling of comfort, security, sanctuary, and connectedness.
“Back then, we wrestled with how to let unpopular social rented homes. Today, the very notion is laughable.”
In Nottingham, we were demolishing and rebuilding homes that lacked basic amenities like indoor bathrooms. But for the residents, these were more than just houses – they were repositories of memory and provided familiarity and certainty – albeit in settings that were often not fit for purpose. Sometimes, I think our sector forgets this fundamental truth: our job isn't just about providing housing, but about creating spaces where people can feel they belong and create a future for themselves.
Every time we move home, we change our future forever; we make new relationships, become part of new communities and form new habits. The current crisis means far from this being a positive experience, for many it happens too often, is unaffordable and homes fail to provide that precious sense of comfort and security.
Ageing homes
The technical skills I learned came from working in Housing Action Areas, where government grants helped improve homes in both the private and social housing sectors. Today, the UK has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, with only 7% of homes built after 2001. Beyond the statistic, this is a challenge that demands our immediate and comprehensive attention; coupled with not having enough of them, many of our homes are well past their use-by date giving rise to a crisis of quality as well as one of shortage.
For me, work has always been about more than just buildings. Collaborating with public health services, we've focused on breaking down barriers that prevent people from accessing the support they need. The poverty I've witnessed has only deepened my sense of injustice. While I'm excited about technological innovations, I remain convinced that there are human challenges – like dealing with housing insecurity or supporting those experiencing trauma – where human contact and compassion will always trump artificial intelligence.
“I am profoundly sad that the crisis continues to worsen and hope and warm words will not solve it.”
People at the heart of housing
Throughout my career, I've been involved in two stock transfers and three mergers. Each time, compromises have been made as is inevitably the case when two organisations come together -and still the interests of our customers have been paramount. Our recent merger with Longhurst is no exception – together, we can achieve so much more than we could separately.
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has been my professional backbone. Being elected its President in 2019 was a tremendous honour, particularly when I lead a campaign promoting mental health in our sector that raised over £50,000 for Mind.
As I look forward to the next chapter, I'm reminded of the quote from Guiseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa: "If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change." The housing sector needs bold ideas, compassion, and a commitment to putting people at the heart of everything we do if we are to ensure we create good homes and communities for people to live good lives in.
“The challenges are significant, but so is our potential to create meaningful change. One community at a time, one home at a time.”
