What can a home unlock?

As the UK housing landscape evolves, social housing providers like Clarion face growing challenges in meeting the needs of residents, the environment, and broader communities. With a 125-year history of providing homes and support, Clarion now stands at a critical juncture. It must re-examine its role, assets, and strategies to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for residents and stakeholders alike. 

Research on public participation, such as the Community Consultation for Quality of Life project, a collaboration between Reading, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Ulster universities, offers insights into how community engagement can be more impactful, inclusive, and representative. Leading thinking on participation can inform the way Clarion works, unlocking the potential of residents, employees, and partners to drive positive change. 

The key question for Clarion is whether it aspires to be a good landlord, or to go further. Could it also become a provider of social care, health, education, or other services that support housing and community well-being? Clarion’s future success depends on engaging residents and stakeholders in a more inclusive, innovative, and collective manner, creating partnerships of equals that strengthen relationships, culture, and services. 

To achieve this, Clarion must shift its theory of value beyond property management, encompassing the social, environmental, and economic well-being of residents and the wider community. This requires moving from merely delivering homes and collecting rents toward building sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities. Climate change, demographic shifts, and resource constraints necessitate a radical rethink of how people live in their homes and interact with their surroundings. 

Clarion can champion a new material economy that prioritises efficiency, sustainability, and social responsibility. This involves innovative approaches to space, energy efficiency, and waste reduction, alongside fostering a culture of collective responsibility and environmental stewardship. By co-designing solutions with residents, stakeholders, and partners, Clarion can create objectives and innovations tailored to the needs of each community, sharing best practice and learning across its network. 

The capabilities approach, developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, provides a valuable framework for supporting communities to achieve their full potential. Clarion could develop a “Capabilities for Life” framework, exploring the values and aspirations of residents to inform strategic objectives. Co-design and co-production empower communities, enabling residents to take ownership of their homes, lives, and neighbourhoods. 

To build lasting impact, Clarion must foster a culture of collective listening. This could involve a listening project to identify opportunities and challenges, paired with an action project to co-create solutions with communities. Such an approach builds trust, strengthens engagement, and ensures strategies respond to residents’ lived experiences. 

New projects can tackle the impacts of global issues such as demographic change, climate breakdown, and resource efficiency. Pilot initiatives might test intergenerational living, shared spaces, and community-led approaches, optimising the use of existing housing and supporting social cohesion. 

Clarion’s future depends on going beyond the traditional role of a landlord. By committing to a listening culture, community enablement, and sustainability through a formal Clarion Charter, the organisation can empower its residents and partners, create resilient communities, and leave a sustainable legacy for the next century.