‘We’re really, really proud to be an ALMO’: Doncaster landlord celebrates 20 years of housing management

The housing provider has been managing housing on behalf of the City of Doncaster Council since 2005, and now manages around 20,000 homes.

Celebrating the achievement in Doncaster earlier this month, Jane Davies, director of customer and housing services at St Leger Homes, said that while the housing provider still works “really closely” with the council, it is “really, really proud to be an ALMO”.

The highlight of being an ALMO as opposed to a housing association, Ms Davies explained, is that housing support can be tailored, but “the [housing] stock stays with the council”. 

She added: “We don’t want privatising of housing. We want council housing. It’s absolutely the bedrock of society, and we need it. We need more of it – it serves a massive purpose.”

Ms Davies, who worked in housing management for Doncaster Council before the establishment of St Leger, said since taking on the council’s housing stock the ALMO has “gone from strength to strength”.

She said: “There are housing organisations up and down the country that are in dire straits with their housing stock – we’re not. We’re in a good place with them. We manage it well, we invest in it, we maintain it well. 

“And I always say, it’s not just bricks and mortar, [it’s about the] people behind the doors. That is what we really take to heart at St Leger.”

In 2024-25, St Leger achieved a tenant satisfaction rate of 81.0%, nearly 10% higher than the national average of 72.5%.

A St Leger tenant of seven years, who wished to be known only as Stuart, told Inside Housing Management he is happy in his home, where he is friendly with most of his neighbours and his housing officer.

He added: “I’ve got no complaints... I do like that you can ring up if you’ve got any problems. The tenancy support [is good].”

Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero and MP for Doncaster North, joined the celebration, and described St Leger staff as “empathetic” and “responsive” people who make a “massive, massive difference” within their community.

Mr Miliband joined St Leger in becoming a backer of Inside Housing Management’s Housing Management Matters campaign.

Doncaster’s deputy mayor, Glyn Jones, said St Leger is “a low-cost, high-quality housing provider that takes tenants really seriously”.

He added: “Housing management matters. It matters deeply to us all. We have 19,800 properties in Doncaster, and we need good management to ensure that our tenants are happy.”

Doncaster’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning and public health, James Church, said after speaking to St Leger residents that “it’s very good to hear that they’re pleased with how it’s managed, [and that] they can actually approach St Leger and the local council.

“That shows you how important it is to have social housing within these areas that is affordable and decent – and always we want to try and improve that.”