St Marylebone Almshouses – Westminster, Greater London

Accommodation:

One-bedroom flat available for single occupancy in a beautiful setting in St John’s Wood. The flat is on the first floor, accessed by fifteen steps, and no lifts are available.

St Marylebone Almshouses has been providing comfortable and well-maintained accommodation for persons in need for some 200 years. Our residents live in a convivial community in beautiful surroundings.

Residents occupy their accommodation as beneficiaries of the Charity. They are not tenants and do not have security of tenure.

Criteria:

To be considered for accommodation, applicants must:

  • have reached retirement age;
  • have lived, carried on business, or been employed in the City of Westminster for not less than ten years; or
  • in the opinion of the Trustees have a sufficient connection with the City of Westminster; and
  • be fit and proper persons in sufficient need to be admitted as residents.

Other important requirements are that residents must:

  • be capable of living independently, the accommodation is not supported or sheltered housing and does not offer care or support;
  • be of limited financial means (both income and capital).

The application process involves the applicant giving their consent to financial and medical examinations being carried out.

Contact:

For further information, please contact:

Angela Griffiths, Clerk to the Trustees Email: clerk.stmarylebonealmshouses@gmail.com

www.stjohnswoodalmshouses.com

The Eden Cottages Trust, Exeter Road, Ivybridge

Accommodation

A spacious two-bedroomed Almshouse in a community of retired persons is now available at Eden Cottages in Exeter Road, Ivybridge.

The Almshouse is suitable for two persons and comprises a large sitting room, two double bedrooms, upstairs bathroom, downstairs toilet and kitchen.

Criteria

The Trustees invite applications from anyone in housing and financial need but under the terms of our governing document they must be members of the Church of England*.

Applications will not be considered from existing homeowners, nor from established tenants of social housing.

Contact details

Full details and an application form can be obtained from the Secretary to the Trustees

Tel: 07855 830631

email: edencottages.secretary@544gmail.com

*The Eden Cottages charitable scheme states that residents must be “poor persons who are members of the Church of England” and the charities exemption of the Equality Act 2010 therefore permits it to specify that applicants have to be members of the Church of England.

The Chester Bluecoat Charity – Chester, Cheshire

Accommodation:

The Chester Bluecoat Charity has a vacancy for a beautiful one-bedroomed almshouse in the beautiful Bluecoat Square, behind the Bluecoat building, in the heart of Chester.

Criteria:

To be considered eligible, you must meet all of the following criteria: 

  • Be aged approximately sixty years or over;
  • Must be capable of independent living and climbing stairs;
  • Have a strong connection with Chester, for example you reside or have resided here or have a family connection:
  • Have limited financial means and be able to demonstrate this

The self-contained house is offered at a weekly charge of £104.50 (exclusive of bills and Council Tax) which is eligible for housing benefit, if applicable. The closing date is Thursday 16th April, 2026.

Contact:

For all enquiries, please visit https://www.thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk/almshouse-vacancy/

 or contact 01244 345 787 or office@thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk

Parish Nurse – Hereford Cathedral

Hereford Cathedral is looking to employ a part time NMC Registered nurse to lead their new Parish Nursing Service. This service is provided in partnership with Parish Nursing Ministries UK and aims to improve and maintain the holistic health and wellbeing of local people, initially residents of the two Almshouses in Hereford and Ledbury, and the wider community associated with Hereford Cathedral.

For further details and to apply, please see www.herefordcathedral.org/parish-nurse-vacancy

Closing Date: 30 April 2026 at midday

The Sheppard Trust – East Molesey, Surrey

Accommodation:

The Sheppard Trust is an almshouse charity founded by Miss Elizabeth Sheppard in 1855 that provides homes for older women in housing need.

We have developed a new scheme of 60 brand new self-contained, purpose built one-bedroom flats.  Designed to the highest standard with most having private balconies or patios.

Criteria:

We are now accepting expressions of interest for our new homes in East Molesey, Surrey, which will be ready in summer 2026.

You can apply for housing with the trust  if you:

  • are a single woman aged over 65
  • are in financial, housing or social need
  • are happy to abide by our community values
  • have the right to live in the UK
  • are able to live independently

Some of our homes are reserved for women currently living in the borough of Elmbridge and with a recognised housing need.

Contact Details:

If you are interested and meet our criteria, please email lisasmith@sheppardtrust.org to express your interest in our homes.

Almshouse Association co‑sponsors Housing LIN 2026

We were honoured to co‑sponsor the Housing LIN 2026 Annual Conference in Bristol last week.

Our CEO, Nick Phillips, was delighted to reconnect with sector colleagues and long‑standing friends, while also hearing from a range of inspiring speakers focused on improving housing options for older people.

Reflecting on the day, Nick said: “It was fantastic to take part as first-time sponsors. The event brought together professionals across the sector who shared such interesting and informative evidence about improving housing for older people.”

We extend our congratulations to Housing LIN for delivering an insightful, and uplifting conference. It was a privilege to be involved.

London Gardens Competition 2026

🌿 Now open for entries! 🌿

The London Gardens Society is delighted to announce that preparations are underway for this year’s London Almshouses Competition, and we warmly encourage all our Member London Charities to take part.

This much-loved annual competition celebrates the beauty, creativity and community spirit found within London’s almshouse gardens. Whether large or small, every garden has the potential to shine.

🌼 What can be entered?

Almshouse charities are invited to submit:

  • Their main community garden
  • Any patio or courtyard spaces within the garden grounds

In addition, The London Gardens Society is pleased to continue the Residents’ Competition – a “competition within the competition.” When an almshouse enters, residents can also showcase their own:

  • Personal garden plots
  • Window boxes
  • Balcony displays
  • Containers and hanging baskets

This element of the competition is particularly special. Gardening provides not only colour and beauty, but also purpose, pride and proven benefits for mental wellbeing. It offers residents a wonderful opportunity to express themselves and to be recognised for their efforts.

🏆 Celebrating success

Winners in each category, both almshouses and residents, will be invited to a prestigious Presentation Evening at the magnificent Guildhall in the City of London this October, where awards will be presented in a truly memorable setting.

Please find below the application form, including full judging criteria and entry fee details. All entry forms must be received by 2 May 2026.

The London Almshouses Garden competition details
Almshouse residents entry form

Judging takes place on the weekend of the 4 and 5 July 2026. One of the two judges visiting will contact the individual almshouses in advance to let them know which day they are coming.

We hope to hear that many of our Member London Charities taking part this year. Your gardens are a testament to care, community and commitment, and we look forward to celebrating them.

Here’s to making 2026 another blooming success! 🌸

17 February 2026

Housing Ombudsman update 12 March 2026

FAO: Registered Providers and those that have registered with the Housing Ombudsman voluntarily to assist with the completion of annual submissions.

Please see below update from the Housing Ombudsman

View as a webpage
Housing Ombudsman Service
Welcome to your monthly update from the Housing Ombudsman, featuring the latest news and insights on complaint handling. You can now book your place at the March 2026 landlord forums!
Our Business Plan consultation now open
Our business plan consultation is now open. Have your say on our strategic approach and priorities for 2026-27. The consultation is open to landlords, residents, and the wider sector.
This is your opportunity to shape how we respond to record demand and support earlier resolution of complaints.
The consultation runs from 5 March to 26 March 2026. 
New resources
Making apologies
New training module
Sometimes, an apology alone can be enough to remedy the situation. To support this, we have launched a new bitesize training module on apologies. Log in to the Learning Hub to access it.
Book onto our training		New guidance
Compensation
We have released new compensation guidance alongside our severe maladministration report. Created with input from landlords and residents, it sets out clear, fair principles to encourage greater consistency across the sector. This guidance takes effect from 1 April 2026.
Read the compensation guidance
Celebrating good practice
Waltham Forest and Colchester councils
Learning from complaints 
Discover how landlords got it right after our determinations. We’re joined by an investigator from our Dispute Resolution team to hear how Waltham Forest and Colchester councils responded following determinations on cases involving damp and mould, leaks, complaint handling and repairs.
Listen to the podcast		North Devon homes
Learning from complaints webinar
Join us for this free webinar as part of our learning from complaint series.
We will be joined North Devon Homes who will be sharing their learning after reducing maladministration.
Book your place on the webinar
Get involved
Landlord forums are back in March 2026
Thank you to all those landlords who attended the first landlord forum in the March 2026 series. Register now for the opportunity to hear the latest updates from the Housing Ombudsman Service, ask any pressing questions, and interact directly with us to shape our service. You will also be invited to join Landlord Connect, a new digital community for landlord forum delegates. 
Local authority landlords, Wednesday 18 March 2026, 11am to 2.30pm
Landlords with under 1,000 homes, Wednesday 25 March 2026, 2pm to 3.30pm

Suggest a topic for the landlord forums
Stay compliant with complaints
Our investigation process
Did you know we have 4 stages to our investigation process to decide the best route to resolution for residents? 
Our investigation process		STAIRS consultation
Have your say
There’s still time to respond to our consultation on how we will handle complaints under the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS). This will shape how we work with Private Registered Providers on these complaints.
Consultation ends on 17 March 2026
Take part in the consultation
Pass it on
Let residents know about our online webform
To make things quicker, we are asking residents to use our online complaint form to bring a complaint to us. We will no longer accept new cases by email.
Please ask residents who want to bring a new complaint to us to use our online complaint form. Ensure your complaints procedure information includes our complaint webpage and helpline number: 0300 111 3000.You can still contact us in a range of ways, including via email for existing cases.
Contact us
Latest podcast
Repairs and maintenance
In this episode, we are joined by Daniel Churton who has many years of sector experience working for both a large landlord and a social housing repairs contractor.
Daniel gives his perspective on:
repairs and maintenance
good practice in the sector
what still needs improvement
Listen to Daniel
About the Housing Ombudsman Service
We are a free and impartial dispute resolution service. We investigate complaints from residents and leaseholders of member landlords (housing associations and local authorities) and voluntary members (private landlords and letting agents).
Our vision is to improve residents’ lives and landlords’ services through housing complaints.
Residents | Landlords | Contact us
Connect with us on LinkedIn

New: Housing Ombudsman Annual Submission Toolkit 25–26

We have just updated the Housing Ombudsman page on our website to support members with the Housing Ombudsman Annual Submission for 2025–26.

The Almshouse Association has received a comprehensive Annual Submission Toolkit directly from the Housing Ombudsman’s Office. This resource is designed to help members complete their annual submission accurately and with confidence.

The Toolkit is intended for:

  • Almshouse charities that are Registered Providers, and
  • Members that have voluntarily registered with the Housing Ombudsman, to support good practice and compliance.

The toolkit is made up of a series of practical documents, including:

  • Housing Ombudsman Toolkit for Annual Submissions 2025–26
  • Attachment A: Complaints Policy (Housing Ombudsman members only)
  • Attachment B: Partially completed Self-Assessment Form
  • Attachment C: Examples of complaints performance reports and governing body statements
  • Leaflet: Member Responsible for the Complaints Procedure
  • Self-Assessment Form for 2025–26 (for completion)

Each document can be downloaded individually from here

We strongly encourage all relevant members to review the Toolkit early to ensure they are prepared for the 2025–26 submission requirements. If you have questions or need further support, please contact the Member Services team.

See also Housing Ombudsman webinar:

posted 23 December 2025

Church of the Annunciation – High Street, Chislehurst BR7 5AQ

Accommodation

We have a two bedroom house, suitable for a couple/two people, available for immediate occupancy.
It is intended that the appointees will provide some support to their neighbours and the church, for example, low level handyman jobs, opening of the church for contractors etc.
This is one of seven Almshouses that have recently been refurbished and are adjacent to the Church of The Annunciation.
Almspeople do not pay rent but pay a monthly contribution to maintenance costs, according to the size of the property.

Criteria

Christians who regularly attend a mainstream church.

Minimum age 60 years

In need of financial support owing to limited income.

Willingness for credentials to be checked and references taken up.

For further information/Application contact:
Fr Stephen Jullien, Vicar
Email: rev.s.jullien@gmail.com
Tel: 07857913278
Closing Date: 16th March 2026