The government has published their new plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing. The 5-step plan marks a significant shift in policy, setting out a bold agenda to deliver a decade of transformation in England’s housing landscape. Other recent social housing news, such as the revelation that majority of rural councils possess no targets for the building of new social housing at all, solidify the urgent need for change in the county’s social housing provision.

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Despite there being more than 1.3 million people on social housing waiting lists, the sector faces widening skills shortages, evolving candidate expectations, and renewed pressure to deliver more,  faster. The government hopes its new plan will help address the ongoing lack of suitable social housing, however its policies will impact talent demands, hiring and recruitment for social housing organisations up and down the country.

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As widely discussed in recent social housing news, the government’s new policy introduces five pillars of reform:

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1. Building More Homes – Delivering a significant uplift in new social housing and affordable homes across the country.

2. Improving Quality and Standards – Tackling poor housing stock through renovation and accountability.

3. Empowering Tenants – Giving tenants a stronger voice through clearer rights and regulatory backing.

4. Strengthening the Sector – Supporting housing associations, councils, and local developers through investment and capability building.

5. Embedding Sustainability and Innovation – Driving green transformation in new social housing and retrofitting older properties.

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This ambitious plan means new skills will be required across development, operations, asset management, digital transformation, and regulatory compliance. But the talent pipeline is already under strain and growing the right teams now will be critical to delivery over the next decade.

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The scale of ambition set out in the government’s 10-year plan highlights a clear and growing pressure on workforce capacity across the social housing sector. 79% of housing providers are struggling to recruit skilled professionals, while 75% are concerned about future shortages across housing-related disciplines. The challenge isn’t confined to development and construction, it stretches across the back-office, technical, and strategic functions essential to effective delivery.
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Organisations are facing persistent recruitment challenges in areas such as:
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• Accounting & Finance – Particularly in roles managing funding allocations, rent reconciliation, and capital project oversight.

• Change Management – As providers restructure teams and adopt new systems to deliver on regulatory and digital transformation agendas.

• Development – Demand is growing for professionals who can unlock land, manage risk, and bring forward new social housing schemes.

• HR & People Management – To support internal restructuring, employee wellbeing, and leadership development at scale.

• Property Services & Compliance – Especially in technical compliance, decarbonisation planning, building safety, damp and mould, and managing the retrofit agenda.

• Technology, Digital & Data – As providers seek to modernise legacy systems, implement tenant portals, and embed data-led decision-making.

• Treasury & Tax – For financial modelling, debt restructuring, and navigating the fiscal complexity of large-scale development programmes.

Yet despite these growing needs, many organisations and local authorities have no defined social housing recruitment targets. Without strategic workforce planning, particularly in rural regions, delivery capacity will remain uneven.

Recruitment pressure is compounded by several factors: competition from private and commercial sectors, budget constraints, and the increasing complexity of roles driven by regulatory scrutiny, and ESG-linked objectives. As social housing news continues to reflect widening gaps and shifting expectations, organisations must act decisively to retain knowledge, attract future talent, and strengthen delivery across core functions.

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To deliver on the government’s 10-year plan and respond to patterns emerging in recent social housing news, social housing organisations must adapt their social housing recruitment strategy to reflect today’s candidate expectations. Professionals across finance, compliance, development, and technology they want purpose, progress, and support. Here’s how to respond.

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1. Invest in L&D and Succession Planning
   Candidates, particularly early and mid-career professionals, place a premium on career progression. They expect clear pathways, access to formal training, and visible opportunities to grow. Without structured development routes, organisations risk losing talent to better-prepared employers.
   
   Our advice: Map out progression frameworks across key functions. Introduce mentoring schemes and support formal qualifications that align with sector needs.
   
   

2. Create Sector-Crossing Entry Routes
   Purpose-led professionals want roles where they can make an impact, and many have transferable skills from adjacent industries such as sustainability, construction, education, or local government. They’re looking for employers who will support the transition.
   
   Our advice: Design entry points for individuals with aligned skill sets, even if they’re new to housing. Tailored onboarding and job shadowing can accelerate learning. Open roles to those with relevant but non-housing backgrounds to expand the pool.

3. Optimise Employer Branding
   Candidates want to understand your purpose, impact, and values before applying. A well-defined employer brand that highlights flexibility, inclusivity, and long-term vision is essential to cut through a competitive market.
   
   Our advice: Articulate your Employee Value Proposition across job descriptions, social content, and onboarding materials. Showcase
   
   

4. Embrace Data-Driven Hiring
   Candidates value transparency in the hiring process and the way organisations use data to improve outcomes. A forward-thinking, digitally aware employer is more attractive to those in Data, Technology, and Compliance roles.
   
   Our advice: Use workforce analytics to forecast skill shortages and build targeted talent pipelines. Track hiring performance by role and region. Adopt tools that support inclusive hiring practices and help demonstrate fairness and accountability across recruitment.
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5. Support Wellbeing and Flexibility
   In a sector that deals with emotional demands and high workloads, mental health support, flexibility, and work-life balance must be prioritised. These expectations are especially important in people-focused roles such as HR, tenant services, and frontline operations.
   
   Our advice: Formalise your flexible working policies and clearly communicate them throughout recruitment. Provide access to mental health resources, peer support networks, and regular wellbeing check-ins. Create psychologically safe spaces where feedback is welcomed and acted upon.
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Delivering the government’s 10-year vision demands skilled, motivated people supported by thoughtful leadership and strong systems. That means talent attraction, upskilling, and retention must move higher on the agenda across housing providers, local authorities, and development agencies. In response to the challenges outlined in ongoing social housing news, Goodman Masson works with social housing organisations to help them build diverse, resilient teams in line with long-term housing policy and aligned to local housing needs. With our help you can access specialist talent pools across development, asset management, and tenant services and design compelling EVP narratives to help you stand out in a crowded market.

The latest social housing news highlights a sector on the cusp of transformation. Now is the moment to create inclusive, future-ready workplaces that empower the people building Britain’s homes and meet those ambitious housing targets.

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Contact Goodman Masson to learn how we support housing organisations in building the teams that power lasting impact.

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