Why the results of our annual chief executives and chairs survey are so important

As a trade body, everything we do is centred around our members and helping them to deliver their social purpose.

We recognise the huge responsibility housing associations have up and down the country, providing homes and services for millions of people. That’s why we strive to support them as best we can, whether that be through campaigning, political engagement or helping to change the sector’s public perception.

2025 turned out to be a landmark year for social housing. June’s Spending Review saw a transformation package of measures announced for the sector, followed by further positive commitments to funding and policy change.

Our recently published impact report for 2025 charts the key moments from that year, including member case studies describing how the Spending Review wins will make a difference to homes and services in the future.

The report also demonstrates how closely we work with members throughout every NHF workstream, collaborating on consultations, campaigns and new funding models, to name but a few. That unified voice makes us stronger, more efficient and more resilient.

To help us gauge the impact of our engagement work, we ask our chief executives and chairs annually how satisfied they are with our services and our priorities.

We are encouraged by the results of our latest survey, carried out in autumn 2025.

Key findings were:

• Overall, 90% of chief executives and chairs were satisfied or very satisfied with the NHF, up 4% on 2024.
• Satisfaction from chief executives increased from 91% to 95% and chairs 76% to 82%.
• 74% said NHF membership represents value for money, a 3% increase on last year.
• The overall response rate increased by 9% on 2024, with a 33% increase in chairs taking part.

The latest results are heartening, not just because of the increasing satisfaction levels but also the improving response rates year on year – 29% higher in 2025 than 2023.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. It’s such an important piece of work that helps us understand what we are doing well and where we could improve.

It’s easy to forget all the fantastic work we do together to ensure housing associations can deliver at a local and national level, providing homes and essential services for millions of households across England.

If you haven’t already, make sure you take a look at our Impact Report as a reminder of everything that was achieved in 2025.