New chairs announced for Homes for the South West
TWO new chairs have been appointed to jointly lead a coalition of the largest housing associations in the South West.
Selina White, Chief Executive of Magna Housing in Dorset and Somerset, and Jonathan Cowie, Chief Executive of Plymouth Community Homes, have been announced as Co-Chairs for Homes for the South West, the leading voice for affordable housing in the region, taking on the roles from this April.
Homes for the South West (H4SW) is a not-for-profit organisation made up of the 12 largest housing associations in the South West of England committed to tackling the growing shortage of affordable housing across the region by advocating for increased development supported by greater regional investment.
Together, H4SW members own more than 250,000 properties providing homes for more than half a million people. Their operational area stretches from Land’s End to Wiltshire and includes rural Devon, Cornwall and Somerset as well as urban areas like Bristol, Swindon, Exeter and Plymouth.
The 12 coalition members contribute more than £1bn annually to the local economy but they also lead on building affordable homes in the region – including social rent homes and homes for shared ownership purchase – with up to a combined 25,000 new homes planned for development over the next 5 years, and a joint investment capacity of £4bn for new affordable housing.
Homes for the South West has been chaired for the last three years by Louise Swain, Chief Executive of Alliance Homes based in North Somerset. During this time, a core priority for the group has been identifying and tackling the barriers holding back affordable housing delivery across the South West.
Under Louise’s leadership, the organisation published its general election manifesto, Building the affordable homes the South West needs, setting out a clear case to Government for the reforms required to increase delivery.
This work has played a significant role in reshaping the policy conversation on affordable housing in the South West, helping to articulate both the scale of the challenge facing the region and the practical steps needed to address it. By doing so, Homes for the South West has worked across the political spectrum to raise the profile of the region, and help drive the change needed to deliver the affordable homes the South West urgently requires.
The new H4SW Co-Chairs Jonathan Cowie and Selina White are now taking on the role of moving the organisation forward and exploring new opportunities for South West housing associations to work together for collective benefit.
Homes for the South West Co-Chair Selina White said: “I’m delighted to be taking on the role of Co‑Chair of Homes for the South West with Jonathan at such an important moment for our region. Our members share a clear ambition: to deliver more genuinely affordable homes, including social rent, and to keep investing in existing homes so they’re safe, warm and fit for the future.
“But to turn that ambition into delivery, we need the right conditions – long‑term certainty on funding, a stable policy environment, and practical solutions to unlock land, infrastructure and planning barriers.
“Homes for the South West will keep using our collective voice to work with national and local partners, including emerging devolved authorities, to make sure the South West gets the investment and support it needs. And that growth goes hand‑in‑hand with high standards, sustainability and great outcomes for residents and communities.”
Homes for the South West Co-Chair Jonathan Cowie said: “I am absolutely delighted to be co-chairing Homes for the South West with Selina, and privileged to take on the role of representing social housing organisations across the wider South West region. In the last six years, H4SW has been incredibly successful in prioritising increased development, and in lobbying for support to help providers build more social homes.
“I’m ambitious about the potential the organisation has in the coming years to work in a new political environment, as we see more devolved mayoral authorities being established, so social housing providers in the South West can join forces and really drive through positive change.
“I’ll be working with Selina to help our members collaborate even more closely with politicians and decision-making bodies to ensure new affordable housing is being prioritised in our communities, as well as seeking further regional investment to help those communities thrive. I’m also keen to explore the potential for social housing providers to be working more closely together across the region to help the sector deliver on its promises, creating a stronger supply chain and developing consistent standards which drive improvements to benefit all our residents.”
Jonathan takes up the H4SW Chair position whilst serving as Chief Executive of Plymouth Community Homes, a post he has held since September 2023. Previously, Jonathan was Chief Operating Officer for Vivid Housing in Portsmouth, and earlier roles include Chief Operating Officer for Sovereign Housing (now SNG) in Newbury.
Jonathan’s earlier career includes senior management roles in customer service, telecoms and utility sectors, and customer service is a field he continues to champion, serving as a Non Executive Director of the UK Institute of Customer Service.
Selina White is Chief Executive of Magna Housing, leading the organisation since 2018. She has championed innovative and practical approaches to delivering affordable homes and building stronger communities across the South West, focusing on resident well‑being, sustainability, inclusivity and responsible long‑term growth.
Selina has served as the Chair of the National Housing Federation’s South West Leadership Forum. She also serves on the board of Brighter Places, where she chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. Previously, Selina held senior finance roles including Finance Director at Orbit Group and Knightstone, and Senior Director at BNP Paribas.
Members of H4SW include Abri, Alliance Homes, Livewest, Bromford Flagship Coastline, Curo, Green Square Accord, Magna, Plymouth Community Homes, Sovereign Network Group (SNG), Stonewater and Westward
In November 2025, Homes for the South West published its Position Statement, acknowledging the progress made since the 2024 general election while also setting out the support the sector will need to meet the South West’s expected contribution of 135,000 new homes towards the Government’s overall housing target.
