As the sector faces unprecedented pressures, from supporting customers through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, to increased regulatory scrutiny, it has never been more important for housing associations to be visible, trusted and active within the communities they serve.
Lucy McGovern, Head of Community Investment and Successful Tenancies at Orbit discusses the important role that community hubs play in connecting with and supporting customers, as well as in being able to demonstrate compliance with consumer standards and regulations.
“Against the backdrop of an economic climate where many social housing customers are trying to cope with increasing practical and emotional challenges and housing providers are navigating the heightened expectations of the new consumer standards, it’s more important than ever that we are visible not just as landlords, but as active, engaged partners in the lives of the communities in which we operate,” says Lucy.
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“Over the past year, Orbit has made a significant shift towards place-based working, an approach that builds stronger relationships, uses local insights and aligns resources around community priorities. By understanding local contexts, we are better able to tailor services, shape policy and attract external investment that makes a lasting difference to our customers and communities.
“Orbit’s new Neighbourhood Model underpins this shift, designed to strengthen local presence, improve customer experience and foster closer collaboration with partners. Each neighbourhood is managed by a dedicated Neighbourhood Manager a named, accountable contact for customers, supported by the Community Investment and Successful Tenancies team, who provide targeted wellbeing and tenancy sustainment support.
“Community hubs are a key part of this approach. These welcoming, local spaces provide direct access to free advice and guidance on financial wellbeing, employment, skills, and mental health through Orbit’s Better Days programme. They also serve as accessible venues for engagement where customers can meet Orbit colleagues, take part in consultations, co-design services and provide feedback about their homes and neighbourhoods.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to our community hubs – each one is unique and shaped by the people it serves. The physical spaces vary widely: some of our hubs are purpose-built, while others have been created by refurbishing existing community spaces or transforming rooms within larger buildings. Just as the spaces differ, so too does the service offer. Every hub is developed in response to the specific needs, priorities and feedback of its community, ensuring that the support provided and the activities offered are truly relevant, inclusive and reflective of local interests. This flexibility allows each hub to grow and evolve alongside its community.
“In 2024/25, more than 800 customers engaged with us through one of our hubs, a clear indication of the appetite for face-to-face interaction. Through these interactions we connected customers with vital services such as hardship grants, debt and energy advice, mental health support or simply providing a warm, safe space to meet their neighbours and make friends. Last year we participated in HACT’s collaborative research project with other housing associations designed to understand the broad spectrum of community spaces offered across the sector and then develop a set of impact measures to demonstrate their benefits. According to this impact framework, we generated £156k in social value through our hubs in the last quarter alone.
“Community hubs also play a vital role in helping housing associations meet the expectations of the Social Housing Regulatory Framework.
“They provide tangible evidence of accessibility, responsiveness and transparency, which are reflected in the Regulator’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). By creating spaces for genuine dialogue and collaboration, hubs demonstrate a landlord’s active listening, community engagement and local accountability.
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“Importantly, hubs are also enablers of partnership. Effectively supporting customers isn’t something we as housing providers can achieve on our own. Meaningfully supporting customer wellbeing requires collaboration with local authorities, voluntary organisations and other housing associations to create a joined-up ecosystem of support that enables communities to thrive.
“For example, we work with Citizens’ Advice Mid Mercia (CAMM) to offer customers free money management and energy advice. We also work with social enterprises such as Hey Girls (offering customers access to free period products), the Department for Work and Pensions (offering face to face employment support) as well as local community groups who use our hub space to run sessions such as mother and baby groups, Scout meetings and art and exercise classes.
“By hosting local councils, health providers, charities and training organisations, hubs can function as integrated service points, joining up provision, reducing duplication and ensuring customers can access the right help at the right time. This aligns directly with the regulator’s focus on value for money, social impact and shared responsibility across communities.
“But hubs aren’t just a compliance tool. They’re where our values come to life, where we listen, collaborate and act. As a sector we should work together more to invest in and share these spaces and co-locate services that help us all to improve visibility and connection with customers.”
