Thrive Homes and Watford Community Housing have agreed to merge on 1 June 2026, creating a new Community Gateway housing association.
The boards of both organisations have approved the partnership following a comprehensive period of due diligence and customer consultation. The merger will bring together the two well-established housing associations, combining resources and operational capacity to scale investment into existing homes, improve services and respond to growing demand for social housing.
The merged business will own and operate over 13,500 in Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.
Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, designate chair, said: “Uniting our two organisations gives us the scale and stability to meet the challenges facing social housing today. Residents have been clear about their priorities, and this merger enables us to deliver them with pace and ambition.”
“We are creating an organisation with strong local roots, a clear social purpose and the capacity to provide high-quality homes and services for the long term.”
“The Board of the new organisation are proud that the residents have supported our vision and we are very excited to be able to create the new organisation.”
The decision follows a formal consultation with residents, independently supported by Tpas, which ensured the process was fair, transparent and inclusive. The two housing associations said that resident feedback played a vital role in shaping the priorities for the new organisation, and will continue to influence how services evolve.
Paul Richmond, chief executive designate of the combined company, said: “This merger is about building a stronger, more resilient organisation that delivers better services and more opportunities for the people we exist to support. By bringing together the strengths of Thrive Homes and Watford Community Housing, we can invest more in repairs, improve the experience for our residents, and build more affordable homes in the communities we know well.”
“Residents have been central to creating the priorities for our new organisation, and they will continue to play a vital role through the Community Gateway model.”
Focuses for the combined company will include providing:
- An improved repairs service, retaining in-house teams and bringing in more people with expertise to enhance the service.
- A commitment to ensuring that the merger will not affect rent levels, which will remain tied to the government’s rent-setting formula.
- More customer-facing staff and retention of local bases, enabled by savings from combining leadership teams and other central corporate savings.
- More ways for residents to engage and access service information, providing greater choice and making it easier to receive an excellent service.
- A commitment to the Community Gateway model, promoting membership opportunities and increasing the number of engaged residents who influence the future organisation.
Work is now underway to bring the two organisations together, with a focus on continuity of service for residents and colleagues. Further updates will be shared as the new organisation takes shape, with a target completion date of 1 June 2026.
