Shared Ownership Resources is led by shared owners for shared owners. We’ve been championing the interests of shared owners – including people considering the scheme and people who’ve inherited shared ownership properties – since 2021.
Your voice matters more than ever
This year marks a step-change in our work. We’ve registered with the Charity Commission and been awarded a significant government grant. And what we do is more important than ever. According to the Regulator of Social Housing, overall shared owner satisfaction is typically below 50%. And yet a Leasehold toolkit, recently published by the government, didn’t include a single mention of shared ownership!
Whilst shared ownership is increasingly recognised by government, regulators, the social housing sector and lenders as problematic (for some households at least) shared owners themselves rarely have a seat at the table when it comes to identifying and tackling shared ownership problems. Shared Ownership Resources exists to change that.
Read on for a roundup of shared ownership news and our activities in May.
Social Housing Innovation Fund
In March MHCLG awarded Shared Ownership Resources, in partnership with the Places Foundation, a £120k grant to develop the project as ‘a national voice for shared owners’. And, on 13 May, we attended the launch of the government’s Social Housing Innovation Fund (SHIF) grant at MHCLG’s Manchester office.
Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government, Baroness Taylor, explained that the SHIF fund is intended to: “ramp up practical, real-world interventions that strengthen tenants’ voices and ensure they are respected and taken seriously”.
Which is exactly what we’ll be doing over the coming year and beyond. Starting with a new guide to shared ownership, and our Shared Ownership Hub.
Helping people understand shared ownership
Shared owners sometimes say they didn’t understand what they were getting into…. Shared ownership is marketed as ‘a foot on the housing ladder’ or an opportunity to buy a ‘dream home’. But are people given all the facts about shared ownership pros and cons?
We don’t think so. Consequently, we’re working on a new SO guide.
Have your say on our new SO guide
No-one understands shared ownership better than shared owners! Which is why we intend to base our guide on shared ownership real experiences. Consequently, we’d appreciate your help in planning the content for our new SO guide.
- Is there anything you wish you’d known when you bought your initial share?
- What do you think is the most important thing people considering shared ownership need to be aware of?
You can tell us what you think by completing a short survey – CLICK HERE.
The survey will close at 11.59pm on 30 June 2026
Is shared ownership worth it?
A National Audit Office report on shared ownership found that shared ownership first-time buyers are well informed about initial affordability, but longer-term financial risks may not be obvious. Is shared ownership worth it? Obviously, it works for some people. But it doesn’t work for everyone.
Our series of My SO Home shared ownership reviews provide real-life insights. One shared owner did the math on shared ownership vs buying. Read what she discovered in My SO Home: No. 23 – Update.
Introducing our new SO Hub
We’re developing a new SO Hub to help people access information about their shared ownership landlord.
The Regulator of Social Housing requires providers who are registered with them to publish ‘tenant satisfaction measures’ (TSMs). But research shows that most residents don’t know about TSMs. Want to know how your landlord ranks for shared owner satisfaction? Take a look at our new SO Hub: Shared owner satisfaction.
Should shared owners pay for services they can’t use?
When it comes to shared ownership problems, being taken to court by your landlord is right up there. On 12 May 2026, we attended we attended an important hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice: Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) v Viridian Apartments leaseholders.
NHG wants to change SO leaseholders’ leases to charge them for benefits they don’t have access to, including a private courtyard and 24-hour concierge.
“Our case is not just about us. We hope to set a precedent that will protect other social housing residents and leaseholders from facing similar injustices”.
Jennifer Docherty
We’ll let you know as and when the judge publishes her ruling.
Calling for fair treatment in leasehold reform
The government has published a new Leasehold toolkit to help people understand ongoing leasehold reform, with clear guidance on rights, responsibilities and next steps. Sounds useful, right? Unfortunately, the new toolkit doesn’t mention shared owners!
We’ve written an Open Letter to the Minister for Housing & Planning calling for a Leasehold toolkit for shared owners, and for shared owners not to be excluded from benefits of ongoing leasehold reform. Shared owners shouldn’t be an afterthought!
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and shared ownership
Another important May update concerns the Renters’ Rights Act. You might wonder what the Act has to do with shared ownership? In our latest Q&A with an Expert, Kevin Edwards – a Partner with Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors – explains what you need to know. Part One explains some positive benefits, including removing a risk of possession. Part Two explains what shared owners who are subletting need to know.
We’ve also written an update for HomeOwners Alliance: Renters’ Rights Act: how it affects shared owners.
Social Housing Round Table
The Social Housing Round Table is a weekly event on LinkedIn. Their aim is: “Creating communities from the conversations that matter’. And we’ve joined up with them to co-host a round table at 11am on Tuesday 9 June: Overcoming challenges in exiting shared ownership.
Our session is co-hosted by Matt Baird (Founder, Social Housing Round Table), Sue Phillips (Founder, Shared Ownership Resources) and Jamie Ratcliff (Policy Lead). We’re collaborating with the Social Housing Round Table to gather insights and ideas from housing professionals and shared owners for an upcoming SO Insights report on buyback.
Join the conversation! Social Housing Round Tables are free to join and open to all. To find out more, and register, check out the Social Housing Round Table on LinkedIn.
In other news
During May we spoke at HQN’s Leasehold Network Annual Summit; discussed the National Audit Office report in a podcast with HQN CEO, Alistair McIntosh; and participated in a New Homes Quality Board / Fabian Society round table on shared ownership.
We were quoted in four Inside Housing features – on the Greater London Authority (GLA) and shared ownership service charges, the Renters’ Rights Act, new Homes England guidance on shared ownership valuation and lender ‘down valuations’; and reporting on our Open Letter to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning calling for a Leasehold toolkit for shared owners, and for shared owners not to be excluded from benefits of ongoing leasehold reform.
Stay up to date on shared ownership
In short, May has been a milestone month for us. With the support of a government Social Housing Innovation Fund grant, we’re developing a new SO Hub, and we’ve started work on an SO Insights report on buyback and a new guide to shared ownership.
Together with ongoing My SO Home shared ownership reviews and regular Q&A with an Expert features, we are continuing to build a stronger national voice for shared owners.
To keep up to date, click HERE to join our mailing list for updates, journo requests and/or fundraising appeals.
Featured image: John Cameron on Unsplash
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