This update follows the customer consultation that took place during August and September 2025.
In October 2025 Elim’s Board and leadership team carefully considered the potential merger with Places for People. We wanted to make sure it is the right course of action for Elim and our customers. This included a review of our legal structures and information about Places for People’s operations and customer services, alongside the views provided by Elim’s customers.
We can confirm the decision has been made for Elim Housing Association to become a subsidiary of Places for People.
Merger Consultation Outcome
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to the consultation. All the responses were considered by Elim’s Customer Service Committee in September and by the Elim Board in October.
The majority of responses we received were either in favour of the proposed transfer or did not express an opinion. Only one customer explicitly stated that they were against the proposal.
Many of you expressed some uncertainty and we recognise that our customers will need to see the benefits of the merger before they can express full confidence in the proposal.
A number of respondents referred to Places for People’s scale of operation. Most of the comments relating to Places for People’s larger size and the additional finance or opportunities this might present were generally positive.
There were several points raised which we have started to share with Places for People. For example, we have asked Places for People to share more information about their local offer and the services that will be available to you in the future.
We are also identifying our shared approach to planned maintenance and the timeframe for additional investment in your homes over the next few years.
Your Tenancy
We received several queries relating to tenancy matters and the practicalities of rent and service charges on your home.
We can assure you that Elim’s merger with Places for People will not result in any change to your security of tenure or the terms of your lease or tenancy agreement at this time. The merger will not lead to changes to your rent, and your rent and service charges will be calculated in the same way and will continue to increase only once a year.
Elim will continue to provide all your housing and maintenance services as usual and there will be no change in the way you contact Elim or request services from us.
Integration into the Places for People Group
We expect Elim to become a subsidiary of Places for People December 2025.
After this, the two organisations are planning to complete a Transfer of Engagements in the future. A Transfer of Engagements is when one organisation joins another, and they work as a single organisation under one name. It would take between 10 and 15 months to complete this. Once complete, the ownership of your home would transfer to Places for People who will replace Elim as your landlord.
There will be second customer consultation process in 2026 before this happens. The Elim Board will obtain your views from the customer consultation before Elim becomes fully integrated into the Places for People Group. We will write to you again next year to provide you with an update on this process and the likely timeframe for the second customer consultation.
Places for People is a broad Community-focused leading UK social enterprise of 13,000 People who create, manage, and support thriving Communities across 245,000 homes - including 74,000 for social rent - through the largest development pipeline in our sector, in over 100 leisure centres, and for over a million Customers. In 2023-24, they created over £334m of social value for their Customers and Communities.
Visit the Places for People website to find out more: https://www.placesforpeople.co.uk/
The conditions of your tenancy or lease would not change because of the merger. You would have the same legal rights and protection as you do now. Elim would remain your landlord after becoming a subsidiary of Places for People. As a social housing tenant, your legal rights and protections remain unchanged by this merger.
No. When Elim joins Places for People as a subsidiary organisation, this will not affect your rent or service charge. We will continue to review charges every year, in line with your current tenancy agreement or lease.
No. When Elim joins Places for People as a subsidiary organisation, this will not affect any of the Benefits or Entitlements you currently receive.
All of Elim’s housing, support and maintenance services will continue as usual whilst the merger proceeds, while Elim is a subsidiary of Places for People.
All services like repairs reporting, paying rent and service charges or raising issues with your housing or support team will continue to be delivered by existing staff from existing offices. This will help ensure that all our services and existing relationships with customers continue to run smoothly through this period of change.
Elim will continue to invest in the safety and maintenance of our buildings, and we hope that you will also see improvements to these services because of the increased resources that would be available from the merger.
Elim’s Board and leadership team have carefully considered the merger with Places for People to make sure that it is the right course of action for Elim and all our customers.
In the very short term, we recognise that the merger process will require time and attention from Elim staff. This will occasionally take some colleagues away from the management or support of our operational services. We will carefully monitor this to make sure that our customer services standards do not decline throughout this period.
Overall, we think that the merger will benefit Elim’s customers and our ability as an organisation to continue investing in homes and services for existing and future customers.
There will be no change for Elim employees for the period that Elim is a subsidiary of Places for People. As a subsidiary organisation, Places for People will have oversight of Elim’s finances and the way we manage organisational risk. The Board and leadership team will remain in place, and they will continue to support all colleagues to deliver Elim’s business plan.
The need for greater investment in homes and services is the main reason Elim has considered a merger with Places for People. Elim is an ambitious organisation, and we are proud of our history and the difference our homes and specialist services make in the areas where we work. We want to ensure we can continue delivering high quality homes, housing and support services. The current economic environment has made it increasingly difficult for us to achieve our ambitions alone. The proposed merger will mean we can benefit from the greater resources which Places for People can provide. It will help us to improve the quality of your homes, build more new homes and improve services quicker than we can alone.
Following formal discussions, resident consultation, and legal process, the Elim and Places for People Boards have decided that Elim will become a subsidiary of Places of People at the beginning of October 2025. We hope to join Places for People as a subsidiary in December 2025.
Once Elim is a subsidiary of Places for People, the two organisations are planning to complete a Transfer of Engagements in the future. A Transfer of Engagements is when one organisation joins another, and they work as a single organisation under one name. It would take between a further 12 and 18 months to complete this. Once complete, Places for People will replace Elim as your landlord.
No decision on a Transfer of Engagements has been made yet. If the Elim Board decides to proceed, we would let you know and start another customer consultation. The Board would use your views from the customer consultation to decide whether to carry on with the Transfer of Engagements or not.
Read our consultation letter in Arabic.
Read our information sheet in Arabic.
Read our consultation letter in Somali.
Read our information sheet in Somali.
Read our consultation letter in Tigrinya.
Read our information sheet in Tigrinya.
Our consultation letter to residents and information sheet are also available in large print and in other languages upon request. Please contact us on 01454 411 172 or email info@elimhousing.co.uk if you would like to request these formats.
Our merger consultation ran from 30th July to 10th September 2025 and is now closed. Thank you to those who attended one of our in person or online feedback sessions.
The sessions provided the opportunity to hear about the merger from the Elim leadership team and make comments or ask questions.
20th August 2025, 12pm - 2.00pm.
In-person drop-in session at Hamilton House (The Mild West Room), 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY
21st August 2025, 12:30pm - 2:30pm.
In-person drop-in session at The Redwell Centre, Redwell Road, Matson Gloucester GL4 6JG.
4th September 2025, 12pm - 2.00pm.
Walkabout consultation at John Smyth House, 62 Parade, Birmingham B1 3QQ
If you were not able to attend a consultation meeting, but would still like to speak to a member of the team about the merger process, you can contact us through the following channels.
The following are key dates, some of which may be subject to change depending on how circumstances develop:
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