Beyond Box Ticking: Creating Measurable Social Value for Planning Success
By Elizabeth Jackson, Brand & ESG Director, LOFT
A single BTR project can make a real, long-term difference to a community, but only if social value is part of the thinking from day one, not just at the final CSR report. Development decisions can bring people together or cause a divide—I've seen both outcomes countless times.
At LOFT, making a positive impact isn't a box we tick—it's at the heart of everything we do. Our People First Design approach means always asking: how will this benefit the people who live there? This philosophy has guided my work throughout 15 years in the residential sector, and it's never been more relevant.
Looking Beyond CSR: Putting Social Value at the Heart of It All
I hate to say it but in lots of traditional developments, social impact is treated like an add-on, something separate from the main business. A portion of profits might go to charity, a few local suppliers might be used for show, and residents get some generic events that could be happening anywhere.
But that approach misses the point. You can’t just tack on community benefits at the end and expect it to build something meaningful. Real social value has to be part of the whole process, from the first idea to the day-to-day running of the community.
At LOFT, we weave social value into everything we do through three interconnected pillars: meaningful local sourcing that builds economic opportunity, deep community engagement that strengthens social fabric, and transformative partnerships that address systemic challenges affecting the communities we serve.
Building Community Through Purposeful Programming
We believe real community doesn’t just happen because people share the same building and same amenities, it grows when people share meaningful experiences. Each and every development provides an opportunity to strengthen social bonds while addressing real community needs.
A great example is our partnership with Zarach, An incredible charity working to end child bed poverty through their “Every Head a Bed” campaign. By working together, we are creating direct, measurable impact in the communities where BTR property developers are building.
Our partnership with Zarach represents our commitment to enabling property developers to make a real difference in the exact communities where they're building. We understand that true ESG impact comes from direct, local action that creates meaningful change.
Through our partnership with Zarach, property developers can use their Section 106 contributions to provide beds for children in need within the very communities where they're building. This creates a powerful connection between development activity and community benefit.
At LOFT, we've always believed that our work goes beyond simply furnishing properties. We're in the business of creating homes, building communities, and now, through our new partnership with Zarach, we're helping to ensure that every child has a safe, comfortable place to sleep - right in the communities where our partners are developing.
For developers, this represents an opportunity to be part of something bigger than individual projects. It's a chance to leave a lasting positive legacy in every community where they build, creating direct impact exactly where their developments are taking shape.
Youth Development Through Real Opportunity
Our partnerships with youth organisations go far beyond donations or sponsorship. We’re all about creating real, long-term opportunities. It’s about breaking down barriers and helping young people build meaningful careers in the places they call home.
In Manchester, our collaboration with 84 Youth provides young people with apprenticeship opportunities in furniture assembly, maintenance, and community space programming. These aren't token opportunities, they're genuine career pathways that offer living wages and advancement opportunities within LOFT's growing operations.
In London, our partnership with NXT Generation CIC is all about supporting young entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that do good. Residents and local youth come together to spot community needs and turn ideas into action. LOFT supports them with mentorship, networking and introductions, and contract opportunities for viable enterprises.
At the heart of all this is a simple belief: young people aren’t problems to be managed, they are community assets, full of insight, valuable perspectives and enormous potential when given genuine opportunities.
From 14 Years to 14 Months: The Embassy Village Model That's Actually Solving Homelessness
Embassy Village is Manchester's groundbreaking approach to tackling homelessness, creating 40 high-quality modular homes for rough sleepers in our city centre.
While traditional routes take 14 years on average to move someone from the streets to permanent housing—with 50% returning to homelessness—Embassy has developed a track record of helping residents resettle into secure long-term accommodation and find routes back into work in just 14 months, with 95% staying off the streets permanently.
Through life skills training and employment support, Embassy proves that with the right approach, homelessness doesn't have to be a life sentence. LOFT has proudly supported this vital work through furniture donations as part of our long-term partnership, helping create dignified homes where people can rebuild their lives with stability and hope.
We're inviting BTR developers to join us in supporting this transformative project—whether through financial contributions or skills sharing initiatives that help the Embassy Village team deliver their vision on the ground.
This is measurable social impact in action: real lives transformed, quantifiable outcomes that demonstrate what happens when social value moves beyond CSR reports into genuine community change.
Partnering for Long-Term Change
We know that some challenges go far beyond individual developments- and that’s why we build partnerships with charities and organisations tackling the bigger picture. Through Zarach, we’re helping to end child bed poverty across the North West. With 84 Youth, we’re supporting gang prevention and youth development in Manchester. And through NXT Generation CIC, we’re encouraging social entrepreneurship in some of London’s most underserved communities.
These aren’t short-term partnerships, they’re about making a lasting difference, far beyond our direct operations. It’s all part of our wider goal, our commitment to communities' long-term flourishing rather than just our immediate project success.
The Real Value in Social Value
Doing good doesn’t just feel right, it actually makes good business sense too. Developments with strong social value tend to see happier residents who stay longer, rate their living experience more highly and often become the biggest champions of their community.
This kind of engagement has a ripple effect. It means fewer empty units, lower marketing costs, quicker lets and in some cases, the ability to offer premium pricing. When people feel truly connected to where they live, they’re more likely to stick around and to bring others with them.
On top of that, many of our programmes actually help with day-to-day running costs. Things like resident-led maintenance workshops, peer support networks and strong community bonds reduce the need for outside services and lighten the load on management teams. It’s a win-win: thriving communities and smarter operations.
Beyond LOFT: A Movement for Community-Centered Development
Everything we do is designed to be shared, built on, and improved. We open up our training materials, share what works in our partnerships and support policies that push the whole BTR sector toward more community-focused practices.
Because the truth is, Build-to-Rent has the scale and reach to shape what urban living looks like for the next generation. The only question is: will we use that opportunity to bring people together, or push them further apart?
An Invitation to Do Things Differently
Manchester is the birthplace of the co-operative movement—a city that pioneered the idea that business should serve communities, not just shareholders. LOFT carries this legacy forward, bringing that same spirit of mutual benefit and community ownership to the BTR sector. We're not just designing spaces because it's good business practice; we're doing it because it's in our DNA to believe that development should lift up the people who live there.
To us, social value isn’t a cost, it’s an investment. It’s the foundation for strong, happy communities where people feel at home and supported. When residents feel connected to each other, everything just works better, fewer vacancies, stronger loyalty and vibrant, resilient places people are proud to live in.
At LOFT, we’ve proven that People First Design means Community First Impact. Our social value work is about meeting real needs, creating real connections, and making every development a force for good, while addressing systemic challenges that affect millions of families.
So, here’s the question we think the whole sector needs to ask:
Are we here to extract value, or to build it?
We choose building.
We choose people.
We choose community.
Because every decision, every partnership, every space we design comes back to one question:
Does this make the community stronger? When the answer is yes, everyone wins!
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