£9.5 Billion Spent on Repairs and Maintenance in 12 Months. What the Latest RSH Data Means for Contractors.

The Regulator of Social Housing published its latest quarterly survey just last week and the numbers tell a very clear story about where the sector is heading.

Spending on repairs and maintenance across the social housing sector reached £2.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone, pushing total expenditure over the past 12 months to £9.5 billion, a 5% increase on the previous year. And it doesn't stop there. Total forecast development spend over the next 12 months has risen to £15.1 billion, as providers continue to commit to both new homes and investment in existing stock.

For main contractors working in social housing, these are not just statistics. They are a direct signal of the volume of work coming down the line and the pressure that creates on delivery teams and their supply chains.

The investment is there. The programmes are being planned. The question, as always, is whether the right trades are available to deliver them.

This is a challenge that has been building for some time. The social housing sector is asking contractors to deliver more, more repairs, more planned maintenance, more refurbishment, against a backdrop of tightening compliance requirements through the new Decent Homes Standard, Awaab's Law and incoming energy efficiency targets. Doing all of that simultaneously, at pace, requires a supply chain that is not just accredited and compliant but genuinely ready to mobilise when you need them.

Investment across the social housing sector remained robust in the first quarter of 2026, with providers continuing to secure funding for both existing homes and new developments. That confidence from providers is good news for the sector. But confidence in investment only converts into successful delivery when contractors have the right people in place.

The contractors who will make the most of this sustained investment cycle are the ones getting their supply chain relationships in order now, not when programmes are already running behind.

How Empower Consulting helps

At Empower Consulting we work with main contractors across the UK to make sure supply chain capacity keeps pace with programme demand. We connect contractors with pre-vetted, accredited subcontractors across all trades, ready to mobilise quickly and at no cost to you.

With £9.5 billion being spent on existing stock in the last 12 months alone and forecast spend continuing to grow, now is the right time to make sure your supply chain is ready for what's coming.

Get in touch at www.empowerconsulting.co.uk