Social value specialist Loop has launched the UK’s first monetised social value metrics tool tailored specifically for the housing sector, offering developers a new, data-driven approach to strengthen planning applications, engage communities and showcase real-world benefits.
Developed in partnership with community engagement experts Meeting Place, the tool translates social, economic, and environmental benefits of housing schemes into credible, monetary values. As the UK pushes to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030, the tool provides a timely solution to help developers demonstrate how their schemes improve lives—not just increase housing numbers.
Built on HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance and over a decade of government wellbeing data, the software links housing features like tenure, access to green space, or room size to measurable improvements in quality of life. It is the only tool of its kind currently available to UK developers.
Ethan Campbell, senior economist at Loop, said: “For too long, social value has been talked about but not quantified. We’ve changed that. By assigning credible, monetary value to lived experiences, developers can now make a clear, evidence-based case for the real-world impact of their schemes when conducting a cost-benefit analysis. What gets measured, gets built – and this is about building better.”
Sample data from the tool demonstrates its ability to quantify design impacts, including:
- £9,543 in wellbeing benefits for an older couple moving into retirement housing
- £2,107 in social value for a young family leaving overcrowded housing in Manchester
- £1,520 in value for a child gaining access to a private garden in London
More than just a planning tool, the software aims to reshape the housing narrative—moving beyond unit counts to focus on how quality homes positively impact lives. Developers can use it early in the planning process to shape design and build trust with local authorities and communities.
Ruth Skidmore, social impact lead at Meeting Place, said: “The industry’s focus on supply has left little room to talk about the quality of the homes we build. But a home is more than bricks and mortar – it’s where people feel safe, raise families and build their futures. These metrics allow us to showcase value by telling a story, in a language planners and communities can both understand and believe in.
“We have potential to deliver £103 billion of social value impact if we can deliver the government’s target of 1.5 million homes at the right time and in the right places.”
The tool arrives at a time when developers are under increasing pressure to align with ESG goals, wellbeing frameworks, and public expectations. Using scenario modelling, the platform offers tailored insights based on location, demographic, and housing type, demonstrating who benefits and how.
Nikki Davies, chief executive at Meeting Place, added: “For many of us, our home makes us feel warmth and security. It’s somewhere where we can recharge, exercise, study or work and spend time with family and friends. Yet until now, it’s been difficult to distil and calculate the impact a good quality home can have on our everyday lives.
“For the first time, our research puts the spotlight on what it really means to have a home of your own and provides a timely reminder of why we need to redouble efforts to alleviate the country’s chronic and ever-increasing housing crisis. Through government, industry and communities working together, we have the power to generate tens of billions of pounds worth of impact, transforming lives for millions of people up and down the country.”
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