Our history
Discover how we got started in housing and some of our key milestones over the years.
Home Group is a housing association with a difference.
As one of the UK’s largest providers of housing, health and care, Home Group has been making a difference to people’s lives since 1935. Created in the north east but now with a presence in England and Scotland, Home Group support over 125,000 customers across more than 57,000 homes.
Home Group is a social enterprise that supports some of the most vulnerable in society, including people with mental and physical health issues. For over 90 years, they’ve been on a mission to build homes, independence, and aspirations - and they're as determined today as when they started.
1930s
After visiting the North East in November 1935, then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin announced the founding of a new housing association in the North East. A month later, in December 1935, Home Group was founded as the North Eastern Housing Association (NEHA).
In 1936, NEHA acquired Deckham Hall, which became our first large estate, and by 1939, NEHA had built 8,155 new homes in the North East.
1940s and 1950s
NEHA built 883 new homes in Cumberland, mostly to accommodate workers from wartime industries.
After the end of World War II, NEHA approached all councils it had previously worked with to understand their needs and take part in post-war rebuilding efforts.
1960s
The 1960s saw NEHA begin work on modernising some of the first homes that were built and growing partnerships in the north.
In 1965, NEHA took over the management of 135 flats in Tynemouth that were managed by the Sir James Knott Memorial Trust. Due to differences in the organisations’ registrations, a new body was eventually set up – the Knott Housing Society, and in April 1969, it purchased the flats outright from the trust.
1970s
NEHA expands outside of its northern base for the first time, acquiring homes in Yorkshire and the Midlands, and sees its number of properties increase to 19,000.
NEHA is also involved in its first major area regeneration, working with Newcastle City Council on the regeneration of Arthur’s Hill.
1980s
NEHA passes the necessary resolution to begin merging the NEHA and NHG and transferring its homes under a single company, the North Housing Association (NHA).
In 1983, the North Housing Association acquired 350 Tyneside flats marked for demolition in Northbourne Street in the west end of Newcastle. It begins a regeneration scheme which rehabilitates 343 flats to provide 321 homes. The scheme receives a national award.
1990s
In 1990, the NHA merged with three similar organisations, including Warden, Stonham, and Cleghorn in Scotland, and in 1998 changed its name to Home Group to reflect its national profile.
In 1992, Home Group agreed a redevelopment programme for The Garths – the largest redevelopment project in Britain to be undertaken by any association on its own stock, and costs around £19m over five years.
2000s
In 2003, Yorkshire-based Nashayman Housing, a Black and Minority Ethnic housing association, became part of Home Group.
Following a large-scale voluntary transfer of homes from Copeland Borough Council in 2004, Copeland Homes formed as a subdivision of Home Group.
Home Group adopts charitable status in 2004.
In 2008, Home Group’s current CEO, Mark Henderson, was appointed.
2010s
In 2011, Home Group launched its dedicated customer contact centre to improve support for customers.
The Rayners Lane regeneration in London was completed in 2012 and became an exemplar for the London School of Economics' Regeneration Framework.
2016 sees the first edition of Home Group's customer magazine, Homelife. The magazine has continued to develop over the years and is now available in a more sustainable, digital format.
In 2018, Home Group launched Persona Homes with the ambition of building quality, outright sales, and shared ownership homes, with all profits reinvested back into Home Group. The same year, Gateshead Innovation Village was envisioned as part of the Great Exhibition of the North, which was held in Newcastle.
Home Group's customer promise was developed in 2019 with input from customers, which provides a set of guiding statements to measure performance against.
2020s
The 2020s began with a great start as Home Group won Landlord of the Year at the UK housing awards back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.
Home Group then went on to become a founding member of Greener Futures Partnership in 2021, alongside five of the UK's largest not-for-profit social housing providers, to create sustainable tenancies, homes, and communities.
2023 sees Home Group move into a new office at One Strawberry Lane, located in the heart of Newcastle.
In 2025, Home Group is recognised among the top 10 UK employers for the seventh consecutive year in the UK Great Place to Work survey.
Where we are now
Home Group is one of the UK’s largest providers of housing, health and care. Our colleagues support over 125,000 customers across more than 56,000 homes in England and Scotland, which includes around 14,000 people with mental and physical health issues.
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