Housing Associations developed from the Victoria charitable movement in the late nineteenth century and form a major part of the voluntary housing sector. They provide homes for rent for people in housing need on a non-profit basis. They are independent organisations, not property companies or commercial institutions.
 
Housing associations have grown individually to met the needs of the neighborhoods or groups of people for whom they are catering. Voluntary management committees' run associations and many are registered charities. They receive grants from the Housing Corporation to build new homes.
 
Grants enable associations to keep rents within the reach of the people who need the accommodation the most. Housing Associations vary greatly in size. The smallest associations run their housing entirely through the voluntary work of their committee. Larger ones may employ full-time staff to manage their properties.
 
 
Role of the Housing Corporation
 
All associations, which get public funding, must be registered with the Housing Corporation, and are referred to as registered social landlords. The Housing Corporation as a government body responsible for promoting and allocating funds to registered social landlords. It is also responsible for monitoring the activities of housing associations to ensure that they are acting properly and fairly within the law and that government money is used correctly and directed to those people in the most housing need.