[citation needed] Affinity Sutton was one of the largest providers of affordable housing in England managing over 58,000 homes[3] and properties in over 120 local authorities.

[4] As a housing association, Affinity Sutton built and managed a range of homes for people with a variety of needs and budgets.

As well as owning and managing properties, Affinity Sutton delivered a number of community focused services in the areas that they work.

In 2010, in partnership with Santander, Affinity Sutton launched a 95% mortgage deal for customers looking to buy their home through shared ownership.

As a private, non-profit distributing housing association, it reinvests its surplus into building new homes and supporting the communities in which its residents live.

[7] As the Great Recession reduced the viability of property developments, Affinity Sutton wrote off £13 million from asset values in its balance sheet in 2009, which was the largest impairment booked by a housing association to that date.

[9] The history of Affinity Sutton can be traced back to 1900 when Victorian entrepreneur, William Richard Sutton bestowed his fortune to a charitable trust in his will to provide ‘model dwellings and houses for occupation by the poor of London and other towns and populous places in England’.

In 1992, Broomleigh was formed as the first urban Large Scale Voluntary Transfer of homes from the London Borough of Bromley.

In 1994, Ridgehill Housing Association was formed through the large scale voluntary transfer of Hertsmere Borough Council's homes.

In 2001, Aashyana, the South West's first Asian led housing association, joined William Sutton Trust.

[12] Circle owns and manages more than 63,500 homes, including supported and sheltered housing, for more than 200,000 people across the UK, and employs over 2,200 staff.

[16] In November 2010, Circle was the first housing group to go to investors after the new government's comprehensive spending review, and raised £124m through a bond tap.

this exceptionally poor provision of repairs and maintenance has been made possible or contributed to by serious and enduring failures in, or in the operation of, Circle’s strategic planning and control framework such that Circle did not adequately manage or mitigate the strategic and operational risks inherent in the delivery of that service[24]