Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Southway Housing Trust are currently exploring plans to create one new organisation. This page has been created to keep you informed and updated throughout the process. At this stage, no final decisions have been made and there are no changes to your tenancy agreement, rent or the services you receive from us. We know you may have questions about what these discussions could mean for you. We’ll use this page to share updates, answer frequently asked questions and share information on how you can have your say. Play video Pause video
1 June 2026 Joint Resident Group* 2 Summer 2026 Colleague survey 3 Summer 2026 Residents survey 4 September 2026 Final decision 5 November 2026 Go live (if approved) *A Joint Resident Group is being created with six residents from Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and six residents from Southway Housing Trust. This group will shape the resident consultation and help set the priorities for the new organisation.
We understand you may have questions about our merger talks with Southway Housing Trust, so we’ve produced these questions and answers to help you understand what this news means for you. Why are you looking to merge with Southway Housing Trust? We are a strong and financially stable organisation, but we know challenges facing the housing sector are increasing. So, we’ve shared plans to merge with neighbouring housing association Southway Housing Trust to create one new organisation. This new organisation would own and manage around 21,000 homes across Greater Manchester and provide services for 40,000+ residents. Tell me more about the partnership This would be an equal partnership. By merging, we would create a new organisation with a new name and new shared values. By working together, we can combine resources to benefit residents and communities. What does this mean for me as a resident? The announcement doesn’t change anything for you right now. If it were to happen in the future, the merger would bring together the strengths and knowledge of two successful local housing associations with greater benefits for residents and communities – including better value for money. How do residents have a say on the merger? If you are a tenant, leaseholder or shared owner you will be able to have your say on the merger plans. We will write to you again in June to gather your views on the merger. This will take place through a survey and meetings. The survey will run for 10 weeks to give you time to review the plans and tell us what you think. We’re also setting up a Joint Residents’ Group made up of residents from Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Southway Housing who we can work closely with as things progress. Hearing directly from residents is important to both organisations. Resident feedback will be reviewed before a final decision is made in the autumn. Would the new housing association be able to build more homes? Yes. Over time, with increased resources and funding opportunities, the new housing association would be able to build more affordable homes to help meet growing demand across Greater Manchester. We have already committed to building 1,400 new homes, with Southway committing to building 1,300 by 2030, and we would hope to increase this over time as one larger organisation. What about community investment? If the merger went ahead, we would be able to invest more in communities through better collaboration, skills and resources. We have already committed £10 million to our communities over the next few years. Southway Housing Trust has committed to investing £5 million in its communities by 2030. Over time we’d hope to increase this as one larger organisation. When would a merger happen? Merger talks are currently at an early stage, and we will review feedback from residents and colleagues before making a final decision in the autumn. If the merger was approved, it would happen later this year. Who would lead the new organisation? John Bowker, Southway Housing Trust’s current Chief Executive, would be Chief Executive of the new organisation if the merger’s approved. Wythenshawe’s current Chair of the Board, Nick Crofts, would be Chair of the new organisation if the merger goes ahead. Both were selected through a robust process What would the new organisation be called? A new name and identity would be developed to reflect the new partnership. This hasn’t been decided yet but would be confirmed around the time the merger happens, if it were to go ahead. How will you ensure diverse communities including people with disabilities or language barriers are heard? Equity is an important part of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group’s culture and we’re proud to live this value by ensuring people have what they need to contribute and thrive. Our resident groups, committees and Board include people from a range of backgrounds and experiences, helping to reflect the communities we serve. If you need help understanding any of our communication or need it in a different format or language, please contact us on 0300 111 0000. You can also find different formats on our website by clicking on the accessibility icon. What happens if the merger doesn’t go ahead? If the merger doesn’t go ahead, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group will continue to run services as normal. Would my landlord change? In order to merge, the current plan is for Southway Housing to transfer its properties and engagements to Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and for the merged organisation to adopt a new name. So you would not have a new landlord but it would have a new name. The conditions of your tenancy or lease would not change as a result and you would have the same rights and protection that you have now. Can I still access services, report repairs and contact you in the same way? Yes. There are no proposed changes to your services or how you use them. You would pay your rent, book a repair or contact us in the same way. You can do this by phone, email, in person or online via our website or resident portal or app. There are also no planned changes to how you can make a complaint. Would my rent increase as a result of a merger? No. There would be no increase to your rent because of the merger. Rent increases are made annually in line with Government guidelines and required notice periods for residents. Would the level of service I receive change? No, you would continue to receive the same level of service. Should the merger happen, any changes to services in the future should be felt by residents in a positive way. The merger is an opportunity to improve services and bring greater investment to our homes and communities. Would I have the same housing officer? Yes. You would still speak to the same housing and Neighbourhoods teams and contact us in the same way. What’s happening with the community centres? Our three community centres (listed below) continue to be open as normal and run by the same teams. Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre Benchill Community Centre Bideford Community Centre What about my Right to Buy / Acquire? There are no changes that would affect residents’ eligibility for Right to Buy or Right to Acquire their home as a result of a merger Leaseholders What does this mean for me as a leaseholder? This announcement doesn’t change anything right now for you. If the merger went ahead then the newly merged organisation would step into the place of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group – but the terms of your lease would not change. Would service charges increase because of the merger? No. Service charges would not increase because of the merger. Over time, we hope the merger would bring residents better value for money across a range of services. Are building management arrangements changing? No. There are no proposed changes to how your building is managed. Shared owners Would my shared ownership agreement change? No, there is no proposed change to your shared ownership agreement. If the merger went ahead then the newly merged organisation would step into the place of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group – but the terms of your shared ownership lease would not change. Would I still have the same staircasing rights? Yes. Your staircasing rights would not change. Would the value of my home be affected? House prices can change for lots of reasons, but these merger discussions are not expected to have a negative impact on the value of your home.
