Catherine Ryder: What makes a good community?

Beyond that, our population is ageing. More people are living alone than ever before, bringing increased risks of social isolation. At the same time, the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training has surpassed one million – the very people who are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis.

The cost-of-living crisis has hit the poorest households and younger people hardest, and the climate crisis will do likewise.

These challenges will shape the future for our communities and could fundamentally change who we house in the decades to come. So, we have been exploring what housing associations can do, not just to respond to these challenges, but what actions they can take now that could mitigate their impact over the longer term.

“Place-shaping means creating healthy, connected communities where people feel they belong”

Place-shaping means creating healthy, connected communities where people feel they belong, ensuring access to employment, education and opportunity and delivering high-quality homes alongside green spaces, infrastructure and attractive public realm. It requires strong partnerships between housing associations, local authorities, health services, businesses and community organisations.

Above all, it requires us to listen carefully to residents themselves.

Looking at the role of planning, funding, design, and local and national policies in supporting this work throws up interesting questions. We know mixed communities tend to be more resilient, but given the scarcity of social housing, only those with the highest levels of need are reaching the top of the waiting list. Will increased use of local lettings plans help us balance the need for social housing with the drive to build mixed communities?

Good design can encourage activity, community cohesion and interaction, but I was shocked to learn that, in the UK, 500,000 children live more than 10 minutes from a green space, park or playground. What more can we do to design communities for the people who are going to live there, including building space for play?

Nature and green space improve physical and mental well-being, yet some of the most deprived communities have the least access to it. Can we prioritise green space when we are building and regenerating communities while still delivering the volume of homes we need to make a dent in the housing crisis?

Grow Speke, an innovative community garden developed in the middle of a South Liverpool Homes estate, shows that you can make a big impact on people’s lives without lots of space, by thinking creatively and working in partnership.

“How can planning, transport policy and land release work together to ensure communities have access to the economic opportunities that will help them thrive?”

Already, more than four million people aged over 65 live alone, and the number of people aged over 80 is projected to more than double over the next 40 years. If we know this, are we building the right types of homes? Are we thinking hard enough about the relationship between housing, health and care?

Phoenix Community Housing in south-east London has teamed up with Goldsmiths, University of London, to provide homes for older residents and postgraduate students. In return for being ‘good neighbours’, including providing support, company and activities for older residents, students are charged a lower rent to live there.

Where we build homes matters, but so too does how well those communities are connected. Transport links, local services and economic infrastructure can be transformational. How can planning, transport policy and land release work together to ensure communities have access to the economic opportunities that will help them thrive? What role can devolution play? And what can housing associations do to open economic opportunities for residents?

Housing association Ongo runs a skills and employment centre in Scunthorpe that offers training, career advice and a recruitment agency to help residents move into work. Their free, open-door mental health counselling service ensures that support is available to anyone who needs it, without stigma or bureaucracy. 

I am looking forward to sharing more examples, exploring these issues and, of course, hearing from the housing association leaders on the panel at Housing 2026. I hope people will leave with new ideas they can take back to their own organisations to build strong, resilient, thriving communities.

Catherine Ryder, chief executive, Placeshapers

Catherine Ryder is speaking at Housing 2026, during the session ‘How do we create a better future for communities?’ on 24 June at 1.30pm, in The Keynote Theatre