Today, 16 April, we launch the 2026 Essex Housing Awards, held in association with Birketts (marking their sixth year as headline partners) and Delta Housing (recent merger between CHP and Estuary Housing Association). This year’s awards feature 12 categories, including two new ones.

The awards will celebrate a brilliant year of achievements in Essex’s housing sector and give everyone time to reflect, reconnect and recognise the work being delivered across the region.

The Essex Housing Awards will be brought together in partnership with Housing Essex, Essex Developers Group (EDG), the South Essex Housing Group (SEHG), and the Essex Housing Officers Group (EHOG).

Steven Kay, Partner and Head of Residential Development Sector Group at Birketts, said:
“We’re delighted to be supporting the Essex Housing Awards for the sixth year as headline partner. Over that time, the awards have become a key moment in the Birketts calendar, bringing our sector colleagues together to celebrate the people, projects and partnerships shaping Essex.

“If you have work you’re proud of, we’d really encourage you to enter this year. While it’s always a fantastic evening, the awards are about much more than that. Winners often share how the awards boost morale and inspire teams to keep pushing for even better in the years ahead.

“This is reflected in the consistently high standard of entries year after year, and we’re proud to play a part in recognising that work and helping to drive the region forward.”

The awards will highlight the leading housing organisations, projects and partnerships and how they are redefining placemaking standards in Essex. This year, we have refined 10 established categories to make them inclusive of both private and public sector entrants.

Reflecting evolving industry conversations, the two new categories are as follows:

The Inclusive Growth and Social Value Award *NEW*
Recognising organisations that have embedded social value within their housing, regeneration or development activity in a way that delivers measurable and lasting benefit for Essex residents and places.
Partnership of the Year Award *NEW*
Celebrating partnerships that have played a critical role in delivering housing, regeneration or related outcomes in Greater Essex.

The Climate Action categories - Climate Action – Decarbonisation / Retrofit and Climate Action – Low or zero carbon in New Build - have also been combined to create a single Climate Action and Net Zero Housing category. This will honour organisations taking meaningful action to address the climate crisis through the delivery, improvement or management of housing in Greater Essex.

The deadline for award entries is Friday, 12 June 2026.

Find all twelve award categories below:

Small Housing Schemes (1 – 24 homes) sponsored by Re-Gen (UK) Construction
Medium Housing Schemes (25 – 100 homes)   
Large Housing Schemes (101+ homes) sponsored by Birketts
Excellence in Design & Placemaking  
Excellence in Construction Skills sponsored by Delta Housing
Climate Action and Net Zero Housing sponsored by Kind & Company
Inclusive Growth and Social Value Award *NEW*
Meeting Housing Need - Specialist Housing 
Meeting Housing Need - Homelessness
Partnership of the Year *NEW*
Housing & Development Professional of the Year  
The Mo Slade Rising Star Award 

Paul Edwards, Chief Executive, Delta Housing, said: “As a long-time supporter of the Essex Housing Awards, we're pleased they're back even bigger for 2026. In every category, last year's winners, like every year, showed ambition, collaboration and determination to make a difference, something that really reflects the strength of our sector more widely.

These awards are an opportunity to recognise some of the amazing achievements of teams and individuals over the past year and how their excellent work is contributing to better outcomes for communities across Essex.”

Following the submission deadline, entries will be reviewed by a panel of expert judges from across the public and private sectors. All the shortlisted organisations and individuals will then come together for a magical evening ceremony, expected to welcome around 250 attendees, to announce this year’s winners.

The awards are open to nominations from builders, housing associations, local authorities, contractors, agents, voluntary sector organisations and various other related roles delivering housing services in Essex.

For more information and to enter, visit: https://www.housingessex.org/essex-housing-awards-2026/

Follow us on LinkedIn: Essex Housing Awards for regular updates.