By Scott Fawcett, social housing lead, Wifinity
Overview
I recently spent time with a group of people who really understand the pressures facing social housing today. We brought together colleagues from housing providers, regional authorities and partner organisations in the North West for a roundtable hosted jointly by Wifinity and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, chaired by John Duncan, who leads the GMCA’s Connected Homes Inclusive Place Programme.
We discussed connectivity, data and digital inclusion, but one theme kept resurfacing. Not as a buzzword, but as a real challenge and opportunity: social value for social housing.
Social value now matters more than ever. It carries weight in procurement decisions and shapes how partnerships are judged. Yet, around the table, there was also a shared sense of frustration about how difficult it can be to turn good intentions into practical outcomes for residents.
Why social value for social housing can stall in practice
One of the most honest discussions was about timing. Social value commitments are often set early in the procurement process, before delivery teams get underneath the bonnet and understand the estate, the residents or the environmental limitations on the ground.
Several roundtable attendees talked about inheriting social value pledges that looked impressive in a bid response, but once contracts went live, delivery teams were scrambling to retrofit activity that no longer felt relevant or achievable.
That promise vs. reality gap does real damage. It risks undermining confidence in social value for social housing altogether.
Levies, pledges and the need for direction
We also explored different models for delivering social value. Some organisations prefer levy-based approaches, where funding is pooled and directed into agreed community projects. Others favour pledge-based models, with suppliers delivering activity directly.
Attendees shared examples of both working well and those that are failing. The common factor was the lack of direction. Where social value isn’t clearly defined and left vague, outcomes become generic and hard to measure.
Clear priorities make all the difference. When housing providers set out what social value for social housing really means in their communities, suppliers (like us) can respond with ideas that are practical, targeted and rooted in local reality.
Getting clarity upfront improves outcomes
A point that stuck with me was how powerful clarity can be at the start of a contract. Take internet connectivity for example, when providers and local authorities are explicit about the outcomes they want for residents (whether that’s access to digital skills, employment support or a speed and service that’s reliable enough for children to do online learning), it changes the tone of the conversation entirely.
Instead of competing on who can promise the most, suppliers focus on what will deliver impact. That makes social value for social housing easier to deliver, easier to manage and far easier to measure over time. And it leads to more honest discussions about capacity, timescales and what success looks like.
Social value needs ownership
Another strong theme was accountability. Several attendees said that even well-designed social value commitments drift if no one owns them. Social value needs the same governance, reporting and attention as any other obligation. Where it sits on the side as an add-on, momentum fades. Communities change, so social value needs ongoing management.
From good intent to real impact for residents
I came away feeling optimistic. Social value for social housing needs to be defined earlier, anchored in real community priorities, with realistic delivery and measurement.
I’m looking forward to working with our partners at the GMCA to find practical ways to improve everyday life for residents through better WiFi and broadband.
Connected Homes, Inclusive Places
The Connected Homes Inclusive Places programme is a pioneering initiative led by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to explore how digital connectivity and technology can create more digitally connected, inclusive and sustainable communities across our city region. The programme enables projects and initiatives that work towards this goal and align with the vision set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy (2025-2035), for a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life.
To learn more about how Wifinity supports connectivity and digital inclusion in social housing, please visit our dedicated social housing page.