As 2026 gets underway, we have invited some of housing’s leading lights to predict what’s in store for the sector over the next 12 months (and beyond). AI (obviously), cybersecurity, geopolitics, housing delivery and homelessness are just a few of the issues on the radar.
Amanda Newton, Chief Executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
Housing is one of the clearest ways for government to demonstrate that the decisions it’s making are tangibly improving people’s lives and strengthening communities. That means landlords will need to show not only that we can build, but that we can lead long-term, place-based renewal that creates pride, opportunity and growth.
Looking ahead to 2026, we can expect the social housing sector to shift into a delivery phase and most providers are shoring up for that now, alongside partners including mayoral combined authorities and Homes England.
The pressing issue of the need to regenerate homes that are at end of life to create places where today’s and future generations can thrive will remain front and centre for many providers. Having an open dialogue about how this goes way beyond retrofit will need to be a conversation that’s given serious focus.
The drive for service reform will continue. Artificial intelligence and better use of data and new technology will play an important role in improving efficiency, predicting risk and helping us target resources where they can have the greatest impact. However, we must learn from the past. Innovation cannot come at the expense of genuine customer engagement with the voices of the people we serve heard loud and clear in the business and the boardroom. Housing is a people business and this means we simply cannot lose the human connection between landlords and the people who live behind our doors.
The challenge for 2026 will be balancing technological progress with trust, transparency and strong relationships, ensuring transformation ultimately delivers better outcomes for residents.
Hassan Bahrani, Director of IT, Cyber and Data Security, Thirteen Group
By 2026, social housing should be defined by smarter and more automated operations with stronger compliance. Artificial intelligence will become a practical tool rather than a buzzword by helping landlords predict repairs, automate routine tasks and improve customer service without adding cost. Combined with cloud platforms and integrated data, this will enable real-time insights for asset management and tenancy support to name a few.
Governance and regulation will tighten as technology adoption accelerates. I expect clearer regulation and legislation on data ethics and data quality, cybersecurity and transparency. Digital tools will support a range of business operations, but success will depend on robust controls and skilled people – good brakes make you go faster!!
Ultimately, the ones who gain the most will be those who balance innovation with trust and security, using automation and analytics responsibly while keeping the ‘human-in-the-loop’. Technology will help us deliver better homes and experiences, but governance and culture will ensure we do it the right way.
Helen Barnard, Director of Policy and Research, Trussell
My prediction for 2026: maintaining the Local Housing Allowance freeze will become untenable. Unaffordable private sector rents force people into impossible situations – having to go without food and other essentials, building up debt and into homelessness. After being frozen for several years, in 2024 the government relinked LHA to the bottom 30% of rents, but then froze it again. The Resolution Foundation estimates that since then the gap between rents and LHA has grown to 14%, a shortfall of around £104 a month. That gap is predicted to reach 25%, £180 a month, by 2028/29. This will drive up hardship and undermine positive action to tackle poverty and ease the cost of living. It’ll also continue to increase the cost for councils of paying for temporary accommodation, which has more than doubled over 10 years, reaching £2.8 billion in 2024/5. The government is banking on being able to raise living standards over the next few years, but with LHA frozen, rents will keep dragging real incomes down. Surely 2026 will be the year they bite the bullet – relink LHA to rents and adjust the public finances so that this becomes the default position in future years?
Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Housing
As we move into 2026, the big question is whether this will be the year ambition finally turns into delivery. A huge amount depends on the economic climate. If the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee reduces interest rates further and faster, this should boost confidence in the housing market, which is currently flatlined – helping to restart stalled schemes and allowing development programmes to pick up pace. Without these reductions, our ambitions for the year will be much harder to deliver.
Political frailty will remain part of the operating environment. The local elections in May are predicted to bring changes in control across many councils. We’ll need to stay focused on our core aims and purpose, adapting to shifting political priorities to ensure housing stays high on the agenda. Where devolution is working well and partnerships are strong, we’re already seeing more joined‑up approaches making a tangible difference.
Regeneration will become even more important, as we know building new homes alone isn’t enough to address the challenges many communities face.
But there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about 2026. Long‑term commitments like the Social and Affordable Homes Programme and the 10‑year rent settlement are giving the sector much‑needed stability and confidence. At the same time, digital transformation and AI‑led change are starting to translate into real‑world improvements for customers and communities. If 2025 was about laying the foundations, then 2026 has the potential to be the year we start seeing those plans delivered.
Samantha Grix, Partner, Regulation and Governance, Devonshires
In the autumn budget the chancellor didn’t announce the much anticipated decision on rent convergence. The official word was that it would be announced in January 2026 before the Affordable Homes Programme guidance. By this time, RPs will be well into their preparations for implementing April increases which may mean that even if rent convergence is approved to commence from April 2026, RPs won’t actually be able to implement it due to the short timeframe to work in. I wonder if this is a way of delaying implementation without having to officially say that convergence is going to be delayed a year. Whether formally or due to operation challenges, my prediction is that rent convergence will be delayed until 2027.
Sheron Carter, Chief Executive, Hexagon Housing Association
2026 looks set to be dominated by geopolitics with profound effects on financial markets.
A topic that I’ve been following on social media is global decoupling from the dollar, which looks likely to gather momentum in the year ahead. Since 1944 the dollar has been the international currency for cross border trade, investment and foreign reserves.
A growing number of countries are looking at alternative currencies to reduce their dependency on the dollar for international trade and financial transactions.
So, why is this important? Well, apart from increasing global tensions, these changes can impact market confidence, investor confidence, exchange rates and inflation.
Rent convergence, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Warm Homes Plan are all positive measures to boost housebuilding and the housing market that the government will roll out in 2026. But delivery relies on an economy that’s stable and growing and geopolitical players with cool heads and common sense.
The UK government will need to be bold to strengthen sterling as an alternative currency and seek parity in economic partnerships that work for mutual good.
Rob Gershon, Associate, HQN
Making predictions in such an uncertain world feels like a fool’s errand but we’re fortunate that in and around the housing bubble some of the things that need to happen are concrete. It feels predictable that pursuing major changes to planning will continue through 2026 and the government’s slightly authoritarian views on immigration and state surveillance will continue to make sourcing and employing a skilled workforce more difficult.
With three different groups angling for a national tenant body – a union, an alliance and a federation – and finding listening ears in government, the way that power is unevenly distributed between landlords and tenants has the potential for some much-needed change. With the chief executive of the regulator standing down there’s scope – perhaps hope – for a slightly more proactive regime on consumer standards.
For tenants and residents, 2026 is a critical year. With the Regulation of Social Housing Act still bedding in, TSMs still scoring below average, and lessons on consumer standards and maladministration seemingly not learned, there’s an opportunity to shape how this ecosystem works. Many of the promises of the act remain unfulfilled for tenants, promising a year that should prompt more changes in governance priorities.
Paula Heatley, Director of Development and Sales, Platform Housing Group
As the sector prepares bids for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, organisations are refining their development strategies and long‑term financial plans to support growth. With financial and regulatory pressures intensifying, providers are watching government announcements closely, particularly on rent convergence and the availability of low‑cost, government‑backed finance. Progress in these areas could give organisations the confidence to pursue more ambitious development plans and increase investment in their existing portfolios. Without such support, however, many will see their capital stretched as they work to meet the demands of a more robust regulatory environment.
Looking ahead to 2026, there’s hope that both local and national government will do more to remove barriers to delivering new homes. While improving the planning process has been a long‑standing priority, the focus must now shift to enabling essential infrastructure, such as roads, power and drainage, and addressing inefficiencies within the statutory bodies responsible for it.
Ian Wright, Founder and CEO, Disruptive Innovators Network
Will this be the year we see the first AI board member?
It’s an interesting idea, one which I explored recently by asking AI to develop a business case and a strategy to build an AI board member. I have posted the 22 page report on my LinkedIn account if you want to read what it came up with. What I found interesting was less the concept of whether we should or could build an AI board member but the questions to ask of it that I’d never have thought of if I hadn’t run the experiment.
On a human level will this be the year of the first housing provider to appoint a chief AI officer? Someone to take the lead and manage the organisations full adoption and scaling of AI?
Finally, will someone pick up the genius idea of Louis Timpany, founder of Fix Radio, and set up social housing’s own radio station? Who would the sector wake up to as the equivalent of the Bald Builders Breakfast or dive deep into the world of all things plaster? Who wouldn’t want to drive home to the sounds of the housing solicitor? The possibilities are endless!
Fuad Mahamed, Founder and Chief Executive of refugee and migrant housing provider ACH
The year ahead is likely to be a challenging one for the refugee and asylum seeker housing sector. The policy and public discourse context remain difficult, with limited indication of a shift away from deterrence-led approaches towards long-term, sustainable accommodation solutions. Persistent negative media narratives continue to shape public debate, influencing both policy direction and local delivery.
While the use of hotel accommodation for those in the asylum system is expected to reduce, this is unlikely to ease overall system pressures. Increased dispersal into the private rented sector will place greater regulatory and operational demands on landlords and local authorities, alongside heightened scrutiny of accommodation standards within an already constrained market.
At the same time, the risk of street homelessness is expected to increase as pressure intensifies on councils and voluntary sector provision. The reduction of the move-on period will significantly limit the time available for people granted status to settle.
Looking ahead to 2026, structural challenges in the housing system are expected to deepen. The ongoing shortage of genuinely affordable homes, combined with the widening gap between Local Housing Allowance rates and market rents, will make independent living increasingly difficult, particularly for families and younger refugees.
