Housing associations, Settle Group and Paradigm Housing Group, have formally agreed on their merger, forming a new housing association named SettleParadigm.
The newly formed housing association will primarily operate across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, becoming the largest housing association in the region once the merger is complete, which is expected on 27 October 2025.
Currently, Paradigm has almost 17,000 homes mostly across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, while Settle has around 10,000 homes in the same counties and South Cambridgeshire. The merger will aim to deliver more affordable homes, improve services for existing residents and invest in local communities.
Initial discussions about a merger were held back in March, with the decision made to move ahead with the plan following a six-week consultation with residents of both housing associations. The consultation received over 2,600 responses, with around 80% feeling either positive or neutral about the plans.
Matthew Bailes, the current chief executive of Paradigm and now chief executive designate of SettleParadigm, said: “Everything we do is about providing high-quality homes, great services to our residents, neighbourhoods we are proud of and building as many new high-quality affordable homes as we can.”
“The partnership between Settle and Paradigm, and the potential addition of 3,500 homes in our core area, means that the new organisation will be large enough to take on the most difficult challenges, while remaining genuinely local. We have an exciting future, building from the best in both organisations.”
Richard Moriarty, current chair of Paradigm and chair designate of SettleParadigm, added: “I’m excited about the potential of the new organisation and its ability to deliver for all our residents.”
“The feedback we received through the resident consultation was immensely valuable and will help the combined organisation to lead the way when it comes to customer service and property management. The new organisation will also help us deliver more affordable homes in the communities we serve.”
