HousingAI Strengthens Team With Duo Of Senior Hires

Following its launch earlier this year, HousingAI, an AI-powered knowledge platform built specifically for the social housing sector in England, has appointed Ben Yexley as Head of Sales and Chris Galley as Researcher to help deliver its ambitious growth plans. 

Bringing 13 years’ experience in property technology, spanning businesses from pre-seed start-ups to scaling companies, Ben Yexley will lead HousingAI’s sales growth while supporting housing associations and local authorities in their AI journey.  

Ben Yexley said:

“Having spent the past four years working in AI and automation, it became clear to me that context is crucial. HousingAI is building, updating and managing that context specifically for social housing, which is why I'm so excited to be joining the team. As a platform built by housing experts, for housing professionals, it’s a unique opportunity for me to help more HAs and LAs benefit from what AI can bring to their roles.” 

With more than 15 years’ compliance and research experience across social housing, residential property, higher education and professional membership organisations, Chris Galley will monitor sector developments, assess AI-collected material, manage information sources and develop the review processes behind HousingAI’s evidence-based content. This research, review and curation process will help ensure the platform’s knowledge base is accurate, current and relevant. 

“Now more than ever, housing professionals need quick access to information they can rely on,” said Chris. “AI creates a huge opportunity to make complex knowledge more accessible, but in such a highly regulated sector, its answers are only as good as the sources, review processes and human oversight behind them. That’s what drew me to HousingAI and I’m looking forward to helping build a comprehensive and trusted knowledge base for the sector.” 

Yexley began his career at The Guild of Property Professionals, becoming regional manager for the East of England across The Guild and Fine & Country, before joining deposit-alternative provider Flatfair where he became Head of Build to Rent.

Most recently, Ben was Head of Business Development at askporter, where he helped grow the commercial team and sharpen the firm’s focus on maintenance automation in social housing and facilities management.  

Galley’s career has focused on statutory compliance, governance, data quality and knowledge management, working at Grainger plc, Inquilab Housing Association (now Karibu Community Homes), Durham University, the National Housing Federation and The Law Society. His work included the management of more than 1,500 Electrical Installation Condition Reports and coordinating compliance activity across more than 1,300 properties.  

Phil Shelton, CEO of HousingAI, said:

“Ben and Chris bring two very different but vitally important strengths to HousingAI. Ben understands how to help property and housing organisations adopt emerging technology in ways that solve real operational problems. While Chris brings the research discipline, compliance knowledge and attention to data quality that a trusted housing platform demands.  

“Their appointments give us greater capacity both to grow the HousingAI community and to keep strengthening the knowledge it relies on, so I’m delighted to have them join us on this exciting journey.” 

HousingAI launched to the market in April 2026. It is designed specifically for social housing, combining sector-curated knowledge with human review and transparent source validation to help professionals access reliable information and make better-informed decisions. 

Developed in close collaboration with housing providers, sector experts and in partnership with Healthy Homes Hub, HousingAI gives housing professionals fast, reliable access to information to help them make confident and consistent decisions. It turns complex regulation into clear, structured guidance that teams can use to inform their work. 

Unlike generic AI tools, HousingAI does not rely on open internet data. Its responses are built from validated, housing-specific sources and include clear references, allowing users to see how the information provided aligns with current requirements. Leading housing law firm Anthony Collins is the platform’s legal partner, supporting the development of the platform and providing commentaries on legislation.