whg launches three-month customer consultation as Aspire merger nears completion

whg has launched a three-month consultation with its customers, called The Big Conversation, to decide the future priorities of the housing association it is forming through its merger with Aspire Housing this month.

The landlord said it would reach customers through doorstep conversations, phone calls, focus groups and online questionnaires over the coming months. Its two customer groups helped draw up the plan and will stay involved throughout, whg said.

Results of the exercise and details of a new Corporate Plan are due next year, according to whg.

The consultation follows an earlier survey on the merger proposal itself. In its 31 July 2026 announcement that both Boards had approved the merger, whg said more than 3,600 customers took part in online and telephone surveys. On its merger information page, whg describes that response as more than 11% of the two landlords' combined customers. The trigger announcement for The Big Conversation puts the figure at more than 3,000.

Gary Fulford, Group Chief Executive at whg, said when the talks were first announced: "Our plans are driven by a shared vision for the future and a strong commitment to doing the right thing for our communities."

The merger survey

whg said 27% of customers responding to the merger survey were positive about the plan, 57% were neutral and 16% were negative.

Response to merger proposal	Share of respondents
Positive	27%
Neutral	57%
Negative	16%

whg said the feedback helped the Boards reach their decision to merge the two organisations.

The merger

whg and Aspire first said they were in early talks on 6 February 2026. At that point whg said Aspire owned and managed more than 9,500 homes across Staffordshire and Cheshire, while whg's own pages put its stock at around 22,000 homes.

The legal merger is expected to complete in November 2026, when the new organisation will be known as whg aspire, whg said. That name will be used for the first few months after completion, with a new name for the housing association planned during 2027.

The combined landlord will own and manage more than 32,000 homes across 30 local authority areas in the Midlands, according to whg. Gary Moreton, Chair of whg's Board, was expected to become Board Chair Designate of the combined organisation.

Sinéad Butters MBE, Group Chief Executive at Aspire Housing, will remain involved to support early integration. When the talks were announced she said: "Customer voices will be at the heart of our proposed new organisation and we are keen to hear feedback on these plans."

whg said rent and service charges would not increase as a result of the merger, and that tenancy agreements and leases would not change.

Regulatory standing

whg said both organisations hold the C1 consumer rating from the Regulator of Social Housing. The regulator's judgements record whg's C1 grade from a planned inspection completed in December 2024, and Aspire's from an inspection completed in January 2025.

The regulator's January 2026 stability check confirmed whg's governance grade of G1 and viability grade of V1. Its November 2025 judgement on Aspire confirmed a governance grade of G1 and a viability grade of V2.

According to the regulator, whg owns 22,114 homes in the Midlands based on the 2025 statistical data return, while Aspire owns and manages 9,318 homes in eight local authorities in the north Midlands and Cheshire.

whg also holds an A2 credit rating with a stable outlook from Moody's, reaffirmed in February 2026, according to its investor pages.

The Big Conversation runs for three months, with findings and the new Corporate Plan due in 2027.