Sustainability for Housing (SfH) has today published its 2026 Annual Review, which features the latest analysis from the 2024/25 Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing (SRS or the Standard) submissions. The data signals an important year for Environmental, Sustainable and Governance (ESG) progress, showcasing the strong performance of 104 social housing providers that own and manage over 2 million homes.

Key findings from the report include:

• 80% of the over 2 million homes covered in the report are now rated EPC C or better.
• Housing providers are delivering energy efficient new homes, with EPC A-rated properties accounting for 13.4% of new build portfolios in 2025 – up from 9.4% in 2024 and 6.8% in 2023.
• Social rent tenures are now the most represented types of new housing in the SRS Adopter portfolio. Social rent makes up the most significant proportion (34%), followed by affordable rent (25%) and shared ownership (23%).
• 50,000 new homes were developed by reporting providers in 2024/25.
• On average, housing providers report a 7% gender pay gap for 2024/25, which is a 2-percentage point improvement from 2023/24. It is in line with the national average of 7%.
• Women represent an average of 44% of Board members among housing providers in 2024/25. This compares positively to the FTSE 350 (women hold 43% of board positions within this cohort).

These results highlight the important evidential role the SRS continues to play in helping the sector tackle some of its toughest challenges. The report demonstrates that robust, standardised ESG reporting delivers benefits across the sector — from access to better data to strengthening relationships between funders and landlords. Most importantly, it contributes to improved resident outcomes by driving progress toward quality, affordable and energy efficient housing across the UK.

Despite the challenging and ever-shifting political climate, ESG disclosures remain central to the social housing sector. Both housing providers and funders have recognised their value in tracking progress, holding organisations to account and helping the social housing sector fulfil its core mission.

While the 2024/25 SRS dataset points to strong ESG performance overall, it also reveals areas where more progress must be made. For example, SRS Adopters reported an increase in the average proportion of stock with cases of damp and mould, rising from 7% in 2023/24 to nearly 10% in 2024/25.

In addition to analysing the 2024/25 SRS data, the report discusses SfH’s strategy and plans to add value to its Adopters’ strategic thinking and prioritisation of scarce resources. It also features an Adopter Spotlight, showcasing case studies and best practices from leading housing associations across the UK.

The SRS Adopter and Endorser community has expanded significantly in the last several years, growing from 78 organisations in 2020 to 178 by March 2026. It now includes 140 housing provider and 38 lenders, alongside over 35 Endorsers.

The 2026 Annual Review was produced in collaboration with Housemark, the leading data and insights company for the UK housing sector, which supported the collection, validation and analysis of the SRS data used to compile the report.

You can read the full report here.

Piers Williamson, Chair of SfH, said: “For a second year in a row, this year’s report highlights the resilience of the social housing sector as it continues to cut through the continued political noise and prove that sustainability remains a central part of the housing agenda.

“With growing requirements that ensure social housing standards remain high, like Awaab’s Laws and updates to the Decent Homes Standard, these insights highlight that sustainability changes go beyond the environmental aspect; they are central in ensuring providers meet those standards and guarantee the wellbeing of individuals living in social housing.”

Andrew Jackson, Director of Consultancy and Partnerships at Housemark, said: “We are proud to continue our partnership with Sustainability for Housing (SfH) in supporting the latest SRS Annual Review. Our expert analysis provides clear insight into the progress the sector is making on its ESG commitments. The dedicated SRS Insights Database, developed through our partnership with SfH, is helping housing providers and other adopters compare performance, track progress and make more informed decisions based on robust evidence.

“With regulatory expectations, customer demand and financial pressures all increasing, this work provides a strong foundation for social housing providers to demonstrate they exceed minimum standards and highlight the value the sector delivers to society. Our partnership with SfH is focused on strengthening ESG data collection, validation and reporting across the sector. As a leading provider of AI and insight, we are proud to play a central role in developing the infrastructure and tools that will support more consistent and credible ESG reporting in the years ahead.”

Martin McCluskey MP, Minister for Energy Consumers, said: “Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe, affordable home and I welcome the improvements outlined in the Sustainability for Housing’s report. Through the Warm Homes Plan, we are supporting social housing providers to build on this progress, alongside improvements in the private rented sector to lift up to one million families out of fuel poverty and tackle long term energy costs.

“We have already invested £1.6 billion to upgrade over 100,000 social homes, alongside an extra £100 million to the Social Housing Fund to install solar panels. These will help cut bills by hundreds of pounds and support more households to reach EPC C or higher.”

Amy Rees CB, Chief Executive Officer at Homes England, said: “This year’s Annual Review highlights the strong progress made across the social housing sector, with 80% of homes now achieving EPC C or above and 50,000 new homes delivered in 2024/25. For Homes England, this progress is critical, not only to increasing housing supply, but to ensuring new and existing homes support healthy, thriving and inclusive communities. The Sustainability Reporting Standard provides a clear and consistent framework for ESG reporting, enabling partners to demonstrate impact, strengthen accountability and deliver better long-term outcomes for residents.”

Ian McDermott, chief executive of Peabody and chair of the G15 London housing associations, said: “The Sustainability Reporting Standard continues to be an important framework for helping housing associations measure, improve and report performance in a consistent and relevant way.

“At Peabody, we were closely involved in developing the original Standard and we continue to support its evolution. One of its strengths is its iterative and collaborative approach, which has helped make it a practical tool for the sector, as well as for funding partners and investors seeking consistent, transparent information about how housing associations deliver long-term social value and positive impact.

“The Standard has helped strengthen the quality and consistency of our own reporting, while also supporting better decision-making and greater transparency. It provides a clearer way of showing how we create value alongside residents and communities, where progress is being made, and where we need to do more to improve.”

David Cleary, Managing Director, Housing, Lloyds Banking Group and SfH Board Member, said: “Reflecting on the fifth annual review, it is encouraging to see the sector’s continued progress in delivering sustainable homes for residents, alongside their own transformation that will ensure the provision of essential services for decades to come. Keeping ESG firmly at the centre of boardroom strategy remains a key priority and will help to sustain the confidence of funders who collectively provide c.£140 billion of liquidity. Congratulations on the fifth anniversary, with exciting times ahead as Sustainability for Housing continues to evolve and strengthen the support it provides to Adopters of the Standard.”

Alistair Smyth, Director of Policy and Research at National Housing Federation, said: “This report highlights the huge progress housing associations have made on energy efficiency. As well as helping the social housing sector meet net zero requirements, this work will save residents hundreds of pounds on their bills each year. At a time of regulatory change and political uncertainty, delivering real cost of living benefits for our communities has never mattered more. The SRS Standard is key to demonstrating the social housing sector’s impact, and I’m pleased to see more organisations coming on board.”

Gavin Smart, Chief Executive at Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “Since its inception, the Sustainability Reporting Standard has been important to improving sustainability and transparency across the social housing sector. The 2026 Annual Review highlights the continued progress in both the number of landlords adopting the standard and in the ESG performance of adopters. Critically, the Standard and its adopters are playing a central role in the housing sector’s work to ensure that everyone has a safe, healthy home, while also emphasising areas where we must accelerate our efforts.

“Housing professionals working in roles ranging from employment support to regeneration and retrofit will also find the case studies in the Adopter Spotlight chapter illuminating, with a range of examples that show the good practice behind the statistics. CIH is delighted to support the work of Sustainability for Housing.”

Paul Bradley, Director of External Affairs at Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “It’s very positive to see social housing continuing to lead the way in adopting the Sustainability Reporting Standard. We know that social housing is the most energy-efficient of any tenure in Scotland and that housing associations are already embedding ESG performance throughout their organisational culture. SFHA look forward to working with our members in continuing their ESG journey and delivering the safe, warm and affordable homes Scotland needs.”

Victoria Ruleva, Investment Stewardship Manager at Pension Insurance Corporation, said: “As founding members of the SRS, PIC continues to champion sustainability reporting that is transparent, comparable and decision-useful. We have seen the practical benefits of the Standard in supporting our analysis, and believe wider adoption across the social housing sector will make engagement and reporting more efficient for both housing associations and investors.”