bLEND lends exclusively to Registered Providers of social housing in the UK, and as such social impact is central to bLEND’s purpose. By providing low-cost, long-term capital markets funding, bLEND supports the financial health of the sector and contributes to the building of quality affordable homes.

Housing associations go above and beyond the core provision of affordable housing, however, with many providing advice and support to tenants and communities in relation to employment and training, homelessness, social security, and financial inclusion. The sector now leads the way on the decarbonisation of the UK’s housing stock needed to reach the 2050 net zero carbon target.

The social housing sector is characterised by a high level of regulatory oversight through the respective Regulators in England, Scotland, and Wales, which oversee compliance with high standards of governance. As part of this regulatory framework all housing associations measure and assess the Value for Money of their business operations to ensure every penny spent has a positive social and environmental impact.

THFC launched its Sustainable Bond Framework in 2021 to allow for the issuing of Social and Sustainability bonds. This framework supercedes THFC’s previously published Social Bond Framework. Vigeo Eiris provided the Second Party Opinion for both frameworks, rating THFC’s contribution to sustainability with its highest ‘Advanced’ category. The reporting obligations set out in the Sustainable Bond Framework are aligned with the social housing sector’s Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS), of which THFC is an adopter.

The reporting obligations set out in the framework are aligned with the social housing sector’s Sustainability Reporting Standard, of which THFC is an early adopter.

bLEND has published its fourth consecutive Sustainability Reporting Standard Report in November 2024, which can be viewed below. bLEND remains the only funder to publish its own Sustainability Reporting Standard portfolio report.