Aileen Evans joins Church of England’s new housing association as it bids to become an RP

Aileen Evans has been appointed project director of a housing association set up by the Church of England as it prepares to apply for regulatory approval.

Church Housing Association, established in 2023, is working on its application to become a registered provider, which it aims to submit to the Regulator of Social Housing within the next couple of months.

Evans stepped down from the helm of Grand Union Housing Group in December 2024 when the landlord merged with Longhurst to form Amplius. 

Her new role, which she considers “a real opportunity to help solve the housing crisis”, will involve acquisition and management of the organisation’s first homes and working with the Church Development Agency to establish a development pipeline. The church commissioners have previously said they plan to build 30,000 homes overall on 60 sites around England.

Bishop David Walker, chair of CHA, said: “Aileen is an experienced housing professional with more than 30 years working at executive level. We are delighted to have Aileen joining us.”

CHA was set up following the 2021 publication of the Church of England’s Coming Home, commissioned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in response to the housing crisis.

>>See also: Church of England to set up major housing association

>>See also: Church of England submits plans for 150-home development in Lincoln

The report outlined key recommendations for the church, government and other stakeholders to address the lack of affordable homes at local, regional and national level.

It noted that the church holds approximately 200,000 acres of land as well as a “large stock of historic and other buildings” and suggested that around 3% of its total strategic land portfolio should be utilised to help deliver the “higher volumes of truly affordable housing that are needed.”

Among the seven recommendations for the government were the development of a “coherent, long-term housing strategy, focusing particularly on those in the greatest need” and a “full review of the social security system to ensure it provides adequate housing support for low-income households.”

Evans has over three decades’ experience at executive level in the sector and was previously the president of the Chartered Institute of Housing.