We’re kicking off the year with Inside Housing‘s annual guide to what to look out for in the year ahead, featuring Fabrix with Partner Louis Duffield commenting on the role alternative living is set to play in 2026.
In the piece, Louis highlights how the livig sector is moving beyond traditional tenure labels, shaped instead by how effectively homes respond to real urban pressures – from London’s rental crunch to ageing housing stock and constrained delivery.
He points to co-living and purpose built student accommodation (PBSA), in the right locations and priced appropriately, as defensive parts of the market that can meaninfully unlock affordable homes, during a financially challenging period.
Our alternative living-focused Sustainable Comunities joint venture with Patrizia responds directly to this. With £100m firepower, we’re deploying institutional capital to deliver new forms of housing that respond to real need, alongside much-needed homes for social rent and meaningful social infrastructure, tackling issues of loneliness and social isolation.
The Inside Housing article brings together expert views from across the sector on development, finance, sustainability and living models as the industry looks ahead to 2026.
“The outlook for 2026 is a living sector increasingly defined less by tenure labels and more by how well homes solve urban pressures. London’s rental crunch, fuelled by rising rents, weak delivery and ageing stock, keeps demand for alternative living structural, not cyclical.
Co-living answers two gaps at once: viable density and the social glue many city newcomers lack. PBSA in the right locations and priced right will remain defensive, fuelled by durable student numbers and the opportunity to repurpose stranded buildings.
In the context of the current financial squeeze, both are notable for their ability to unlock meaningful delivery of much-needed affordable homes.”
Louis Duffield, Partner, Fabrix
