Rooted in Faith, Building to Flourish

We are creating homes that offer stability, dignity, and connection for all.

The Church Housing Association is a Community Benefit Society and exempt charity, registered by the Regulator of Social Housing. We were established in partnership with Gloucester Diocese to meet the housing needs of local communities, grounded in the Christian values of compassion, dignity, and stewardship.

Our work is a direct response to the 2021 Coming Home Report, a landmark publication from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Housing, Church and Community. This report issued a bold challenge to the Church: to reimagine how its resources could be used to respond to the housing crisis and help create communities where everyone can flourish.

Who We Are

Our Vision

To deliver good homes that enable residents to live in harmony with the natural environment, are places where people feel safe, are affordable and enable people to put down roots and feel part of the community. Our homes will be places where people enjoy living in and delight to come home to.

From Vision to Action

Working closely with Gloucester Diocese, we aim to turn the Coming Home Report's vision into practical, lasting change: One home and one community at a time.

Our Guiding Values

Our mission is shaped by the five core values set out in the Coming Home Report:

  • Sustainable – Housing that respects environmental limits

  • Safe – Homes that provide security and protection

  • Stable – Tenures that offer long-term certainty

  • Sociable – Communities built for connection and support

  • Satisfying – Living spaces that are well-designed and dignified

Board Members

Bishop David Walker

CHAIR

Bishop David is the Bishop of Manchester, serving the diocese where he was born and raised. He leads one of the Church of England’s largest dioceses, supporting over 250 parishes and 200 schools, with a focus on building a sustainable future for ministry across a region marked by both innovation and deep social need.

A passionate advocate for housing justice, Bishop David chairs the Greater Manchester Homelessness Partnership Board. Nationally, he serves in the House of Lords, speaking on housing and regional issues, and chairs the Church’s £8bn endowment fund, helping direct support to the poorest communities.

Cym D’Sousa

VICE CHAIR

Cym previously served as Chief Executive of Manchester-based Arawak Walton Housing Association, and is a well-known figure in UK housing, having served from 2012-23 as Chair of BME National, the umbrella body for black and minority ethnic (BME) housing associations.

A qualified chartered accountant, she has been a member of numerous boards in the commercial and housing sectors.

Jon Sawyer

Jon has been both a Chartered Surveyor and Board Member in social housing and other ethically responsible roles for over 25 years. He has held senior roles at KPMG and igloo and was Director of Housing at Manchester City Council before becoming an independent consultant advising local authorities, housing associations, developers and building owners. Over the years has has supported many local authorities to successfully restart Council Housebuilding. He has also been a Board Member of several housing associations and ALMOs, including the rescue of Cosmopolitan

John Swanton

John had a 25-year career with housing associations and a local authority.  During this time, he was ordained.  Until spring 2025, he was Rector of the South Cotswolds for a decade.  He is interested in rural housing and homes for key workers.  He serves on a few bodies concerned with housing.

Crystal Hicks

Crystal is widely known in the homelessness and housing sectors, serving as Director at Crisis, and previously an Assistant Director at Your Homes Newcastle, and a Director at Oasis Community Housing. She is currently President of Women in Social Housing and founder of the Women's Homelessness Alliance. Crystal is passionate about positive change and social justice. Her contributions to the housing sector were nationally recognised when she received a Northern Power Women award for the ‘What Women Want’ campaign.

Nick Pollock

Nick Pollock is the Planning Director for the Duchy of Cornwall. He brings over 30 years' experience in planning and development, with a focus on delivering housing and mixed communities.
Nick's work at the Duchy of Cornwall is centred on building communities in developments like the award-winning Poundbury in Dorset and Nansledan in Cornwall. These projects are globally recognised examples of sustainable, high-quality, new urbanism.
Demonstrating his commitment to addressing the national housing crisis, Nick has been closely involved with the Archbishops' Commission on Housing,  He previously served on a seconded executive team to help the Church of England progress its work on meeting local housing need and supporting parishes focused on building and connecting communities.