Future of the Living Sector: Building Growth Through BTR, Co-living and PBSA

Future of the Living Sector Research: Have Your Say

How can the Living Sector help drive growth in the UK's towns and cities?

Close Brothers Property Finance has partnered with JLL and The Housing Forum on a major new research project exploring the future of the UK's Living Sector and its role in supporting economic growth, housing delivery, talent attraction and urban regeneration.

As the UK government continues to prioritise housing, growth and devolution, the Living Sector is increasingly recognised as a key driver of thriving towns and cities. This research will examine how alternative residential accommodation models, including Build to Rent (BTR), Co-living and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), can help address housing challenges while supporting economic development across the UK.

What do we mean by the Living Sector?

The Living Sector encompasses professionally managed accommodation designed to meet a range of housing needs throughout different stages of life. For the purpose of this research, we are focusing on:

• Build to Rent (BTR)
• Co-living
• Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA)
• Single Family Housing

These sectors play an increasingly important role in providing high-quality, flexible housing options in locations where people want to live, work and study. We are inviting developers, operators, investors and advisers active in the Living Sector to share their views through a short survey.

The findings will help us understand:

• Current market sentiment
• Investment appetite and future plans
• Opportunities for growth and expansion
• Barriers to development and investment
• The role of housing in supporting economic growth and productivity
• How the sector can contribute to attracting and retaining talent
• Policy changes needed to unlock further growth

The insights gathered will form the basis of a comprehensive research report featuring industry analysis, market trends and recommendations for policymakers and sector stakeholders.

Why participate?

By taking part, you'll contribute to an industry-wide discussion on how the Living Sector can:

• Support economic growth across the UK
• Meet evolving housing needs
• Deliver investment into towns and cities
• Create vibrant, sustainable communities
• Help address housing supply challenges
• Support regional growth and regeneration agendas

Take the Survey here: 

The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and will close on 2 October 2026

Thank you for supporting this important piece of industry research.