Drawn from 2024/25 submissions to the Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS), the analysis covers 104 housing providers responsible for more than two million homes.

The findings show a sector continuing to push forward on sustainability despite political uncertainty, regulatory pressure and financial constraints.

• 80% of homes covered by the SRS are now EPC C or better, signalling rapid progress on energy efficiency.
• EPC A-rated new builds now make up 13.4% of providers’ development pipelines — up from 9.4% in 2024 and 6.8% in 2023.
• Social rent is now the most common tenure type in new SRS Adopter portfolios (34%), ahead of affordable rent (25%) and shared ownership (23%).
• Providers delivered 50,000 new homes in 2024/25.
• The gender pay gap among reporting organisations has fallen to 7%, matching the UK average.
• Women now hold 44% of board positions, outperforming the FTSE 350 benchmark of 43%.

SfH said the results underline the value of consistent, standardised ESG reporting in strengthening relationships between funders and landlords, improving data quality and supporting better outcomes for residents.

While the dataset shows strong overall performance, the review also highlights areas requiring urgent attention. The proportion of homes with damp and mould cases has risen from 7% to nearly 10% year‑on‑year — a trend SfH says reinforces the need for sustained investment and robust asset management.

The report also outlines SfH’s strategy for supporting Adopters as they navigate competing priorities, limited resources and rising regulatory expectations. A dedicated Adopter Spotlight section showcases case studies from organisations leading the way on retrofit, governance, community investment and data-driven decision-making.

The SRS community continues to expand rapidly. Since its launch in 2020, membership has grown from 78 organisations to 178 by March 2026, including 140 housing providers, 38 lenders and more than 35 Endorsers.

The 2026 Review was produced in partnership with Housemark, which supported data collection, validation and analysis through the SRS Insights Database.

Sector reaction

Piers Williamson, chair of SfH, said the findings show a sector “cutting through political noise” to keep sustainability at the heart of its mission. He highlighted the role of new regulatory requirements, including Awaab’s Law and updates to the Decent Homes Standard, in driving improvements that go beyond environmental performance.

Andrew Jackson, director of consultancy and partnerships at Housemark, said the partnership with SfH is helping providers “compare performance, track progress and make more informed decisions based on robust evidence”, adding that strong ESG reporting is increasingly essential as regulatory, customer and financial pressures intensify.

David Cleary, managing director for housing at Lloyds Banking Group and SfH board member, said the sector’s progress is helping maintain funder confidence, noting that lenders collectively provide around £140 billion of liquidity to social housing.

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the Standard continues to play a “central role” in improving transparency and sustainability, while also highlighting areas where efforts must accelerate.

Paul Bradley, director of external affairs at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, welcomed the findings, noting that social housing remains the most energy‑efficient tenure in Scotland and that housing associations are embedding ESG across their organisational culture.