The Guide to UK Housing Associations for Women

UK Housing Associations Committed to Supporting Women

Have you ever wondered whether there are housing associations that cater specifically to women? It sounds like an unusual concept at first. After all, housing associations are designed to offer housing support to anyone who needs it, regardless of gender. These non-profit social landlords believe in providing every person in the UK with access to a quality home they can afford to live in.

While rent for a HA home is often a little higher than you’d pay for a council property, renting a housing association home is usually more affordable than private renting. This is one of the reasons why almost 6 million people across England rely on housing associations.

Most housing associations don’t reserve their properties for people of a particular gender. However, there are a handful of organisations that do focus exclusively on women.

What are Housing Associations for Women?

Housing associations for women focus on providing women, or people who identify as female, with access to safe and affordable accommodation. Just like standard housing associations, they offer access to social rented homes, often available at half of the price of private rented property.

They can also provide women with shared ownership homes which help them to purchase a “percentage” of their home over time. Some HA groups even assist with specialist and supported housing, such as properties with extra space for those with mobility issues.

Housing Associations for women can also provide access to quality homes to purchase, and build new homes in communities around the country.

All housing associations, including those designed specifically for women, use their own criteria to determine “eligibility” for a home, and place applicants on a waiting list.

Why are There Housing Associations for Women?

Housing associations for women aren’t common, but they do exist. Demand for these organisation’s has grown over the years, based on a few factors. For instance, there’s still a “gender pay gap” in the UK, which means full-time female employees generally earn 7.7% less than their male counterparts.

This has led some organisations to believe that women are more likely to suffer from financial hardships than men – although this isn’t necessarily the case. Some housing associations for women also focus on people who have experienced serious hardships, such as domestic abuse. Some, but not all of them, have been set up to help women finding themselves in exceptionally difficult circumstances and of those that are, they are understandably fiercely protective of their privacy.

However, it’s worth noting that women aren’t the only people who need the support of housing associations, whether they’re overcoming hardships, or struggling financially.

In today’s economic environment, everyone is facing financial strain, regardless of their gender identity. Single people, in particular, are struggling to make ends meet in the face of evolving “single tax” issues. Additionally, people of all genders can be victims of abuse.

Despite this, we’ve been unable to find any housing associations that focus specifically on serving men with personal concerns.

The Housing Associations Focused on Women

Most of the housing associations we found catering to single women were established by non-profit organisation striving to help women in exceptionally difficult circumstances. However, that’s not necessarily the case with all housing associations.

You can find a complete up to date list of housing associations registered with the government here, or check out a list of National Housing Federation members here. Here are some of the groups that we’ve found so far that focus specifically on women:

BROMLEY AND CROYDON WOMEN’S AID
BCWA is one of the non-profit housing associations that specialises in supporting women suffering from serious hardship. As well as offering assistance with housing and legal proceedings, they can also guide women on accessing welfare benefits, and provide counselling.

PROBUS WOMEN’S HOUSING SOCIETY
Probus Women’s housing was created in 1948, with a focus on helping professional women access affordable housing in the UK. The company’s mission is to provide safe and secure accommodation to single women, although they do offer some properties for couples. The group owns properties across multiple parts of the UK, including Cambridge, Southampton, and London.

HOUSING FOR WOMEN
Housing for Women, or HWF is a charity and housing provider with a mission to help women challenge inequality. They offer support with escaping domestic abuse, accessing counselling, and offer affordable homes to women of all ages.

Based in London there’s a particularly high demand for their services which means they focus their resources on those who can show a real housing need. Many of the women they help have been referred onto them by local councils in their area, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hounslow,  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,  Lewisham, Southwark, and Westminster Council.

The other agencies who have been approved by them and make referrals are the Church Army, Eaves, Lewisham Refuge, Look Ahead Housing and Care, the  Medaille Trust, the Passage and Southwark  Women’s Aid.

WOMEN’S PIONEER HOUSING
Established in 1920, Women’s Pioneer Housing helps to house single women in eight boroughs in west and north-west London. The high level of demand means that they don’t operate waiting lists for all of their properties. Like the Housing for Women, most tenants they help come through referrals from local councils and other local agencies.
However, you can apply for housing directly on the website, though the group notes that they only offer a small number of homes to women through this system each year.

Housing Associations for Women

Clearly, if you’re searching for housing associations specifically designed for women, the chances are you’ll have fewer options. Most housing associations don’t discriminate based on gender, so unless you’re looking for support dealing with a specific hardship, you might find you get better results just by applying with your local HA group.

Although these Housing Associations are just a drop in the ocean compared to the huge demand for places, at least its something. If you know of any other housing associations that cater exclusively to women (or to men), PLEASE REACH OUT &  LET US KNOW, so we can share their details with the single community.