Simply Affordable Homes appoints new Chair of the Board

Simply Affordable Homes RP Limited, the registered for-profit affordable housing provider managed by Savills Investment Management (“Savills IM”), has appointed Katrina Laud as Chair of the Board with effect from 1 October 2026. She succeeds Keith Exford, who steps down from the role following a successful growth phase for the business.

Katrina brings over 40 years of experience in the social housing sector, including more than a decade as a non-executive board chair, senior independent director, and board member across both for-profit and not-for-profit Registered Providers. She has been instrumental in local authority stock transfers, social impact-led capital deployment, the establishment and expansion of housing associations, and the delivery of enhanced governance and regulatory engagement frameworks.

Katrina has held non-executive directorships at Habitare Homes, Saffron Housing Trust, Flagship Housing, Bedford Estates and Woburn RP. She has also been a Consultant Director in Savills plc’s affordable housing division for almost 20 years, advising housing associations, landed estates and trusts. Katrina established her own business, KL Management Consultants, in 2007, providing bid support for and then becoming Managing Director of Cambridgeshire Partnerships Limited, the joint venture appointed to deliver 3,300 affordable homes in the growth sites within South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City.

In her new role, she will help steer governance, strategy and deployment for Simply Affordable Homes as it scales its open-ended fund. The Simply Affordable Homes Fund currently manages 422 affordable rent, intermediate rent and shared-ownership homes across the UK, with an active pipeline set to take this to near 1,000 homes by the end of March 2027.

The Living sector is a key strategic focus for the €25.5bn (AUM) Savills IM. The international real estate investment manager manages over 9,000 homes in the residential-rental sector on a global basis, with its UK portfolio invested in the build-to-rent and single-family housing sectors in addition to affordable housing.

Katrina Laud, Chair of the Board at Simply Affordable Homes RP Limited, commented: “Stepping into this role comes at a period of growth for the Fund, platform and the wider affordable housing sector. Unlocking institutional capital is vital to meeting the acute demand for high-quality, sustainable affordable housing across the country, with public and private capital becoming increasingly aligned on the mutual benefits. Simply Affordable Homes has a clear sense of purpose and strong foundations, and I look forward to working closely with the board, Savills IM, local authorities and housing associations to expand our portfolio, and deliver meaningful outcomes for our residents and stakeholders, through robust leadership and governance.”

Dominic Curtis, Fund Manager for the Simply Affordable Homes Fund, added: “Katrina’s depth of experience in UK social housing, governance, and stakeholder collaboration will be of real benefit to the business as we continue to executive our growth plan. On behalf of the entire business, I would also like to thank Keith Exford for his invaluable leadership and guidance.”