We recently wrote to all Elim customers to ask for your views about our proposal for Elim Housing Association to merge with Places for People.
The Merger Proposal
A merger happens when two or more organisations join to create one new organisation, or when one smaller organisation joins a larger one and becomes a subsidiary of that larger organisation.
We are proposing to enter into a merger agreement which means that Elim Housing Association will become a subsidiary of Places for People in December 2025. We would initially keep our Elim Housing Association name and brand, and we would expect to become a fully integrated part of Places for People Group within the next two years. While Elim is a subsidiary of Places for People, we will continue to operate as we do now. However, we would also be able to access greater resources provided by Places for People which we cannot currently. This will help to improve our efficiency as an organisation, and increase the investment in our homes and services to our customers.
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.
The potential merger partner: Places for People
In the process of choosing a potential merger partner, the Elim Board considered several different organisations. We chose Places for People because we believe it is an organisation with the scale, resource and outlook to deliver more for all Elim customers. Places for People also work in the same areas as we do. We already have good experience of working together in our homelessness support services.
The benefits of the proposed merger
The proposed merger will provide benefits to Elim customers:
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 supported housing 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 though this period of change.
This proposal will not result in any change to the security of tenure or the tenancy agreement that you have with Elim Housing Association. Elim Housing would still be your landlord.
There will be no transfer of the ownership of your home and no change to the terms of your tenancy or lease by Elim becoming a subsidiary of Places for People 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.
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 proposed 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. If 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. If 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 discussions are underway and, if the proposal 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 potential 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 proposed 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.
We hope that all discussions with Places with People will successfully progress over the next few months. However, if the proposed merger with Places with People does not happen, it is likely that Elim will need to look for an alternative merger partner.
If Elim does not secure a merger partner, we would have to consider selling more social homes when they became empty to support our financial position. We may also invest less in our customers’ homes which would result in a decrease in customer satisfaction and, over time, a reduction in the quality of our customers’ homes.
If the current discussions, resident consultation, and legal process continue as planned, the Elim and Places for People Boards will decide whether Elim becomes a subsidiary of Places of People at the beginning of October 2025. We would then 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.
The only proposal and consultation that is currently underway is about Elim Housing Association joining Places for People as a subsidiary organisation.
You can find out more about the merger proposal, ask questions or respond to the consultation in a number of different ways.
You can attend one of our online or in person meetings, where you will get a chance to hear about the merger from the Elim leadership team and make comments or ask questions, see below for details.
If you live in an Elim supported housing accommodation scheme, Elim staff will provide opportunities for you to feedback on the merger proposal as part of house meetings.
If you live on one of the Gypsy and Traveller sites owned by Elim, our Housing Officers may also ask for your feedback during routine site walkarounds in August.
If you live in our general needs housing accommodation our Housing Officers are continuing to visit all customers as part of our Behind Every Door project, you can provide feedback during these home visits.
To join one of the above meetings, please email info@elimhousing.co.uk and a member of the team will provide you with joining information.
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 would prefer not to attend a consultation meeting, you can also provide feedback 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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