Government hints at forcing social housing landlords to house homeless households
6 days ago | 13 comments
Crisis to buy homes in bid to become not-for-profit landlord
10:01 AM, 20th April 2026, 2 days ago
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A homeless charity has partnered with a bank to begin purchasing its own properties as it aims to become a not-for-profit landlord.
Crisis plans to buy its first homes by summer 2026, with a target of acquiring at least 100 properties across London and Newcastle over the next three years.
Working alongside Lloyds Banking Group, the charity warns that without further action, the housing crisis is likely to deepen.
Offer secure and affordable homes
Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, said: “With the support of Lloyds Banking Group, we can now kick-start our plans to become a not-for-profit landlord in the next few months.
“What this means is that we’ll be able to start to offer some of the people we support, people experiencing the very worst forms of homelessness, genuinely affordable, secure homes so that they can rebuild their lives.”
He adds: “While this intervention is only part of the picture, and more needs to be done by the UK government to deliver social housing at scale, with the ongoing support of Lloyds Banking Group and the passion and commitment of their staff, we can start to make this important shift and put homes firmly at the heart of the solution to end homelessness.
“We’re delighted to be renewing our successful partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. At a time when homelessness has reached unprecedented levels, partnerships like this enable us to innovate and do things differently to better meet the challenges we face.”
End homelessness with homes
Charlie Nunn, group chief executive officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We’re so proud to support Crisis’ landmark intervention to end homelessness with homes, by making it possible for the charity to acquire and manage housing for the very first time.
“This level of ambition and imagination is an inspiration. We need more of it, with strong collaboration, across the public, business and charity sectors. And it is in everyone’s interest to help initiatives like these to succeed.
The bank has also helped fund the launch of Crisis’s Good Place Lettings, which aims to tackle housing inequality by “bringing more social purpose to the private rental market.”
The news comes as more social homes are being sold or demolished than are being built.
Data by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reveals in England, 16,291 social homes were either sold or demolished last year, yet just 10,807 social homes were built.
Tags:
crisis, Good Place Lettings, homelessness, Lloyds Banking Group, not-for-profit landlord, social housing
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Member Since September 2025 - Comments: 29
10:05 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
I’ve got a property they could buy.
Member Since October 2024 - Comments: 8
10:12 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
Full marks to Crisis. At last a charity prepared to act rather than complain. It puts them way out in front of the other so called homeless charities.
Once they are active in the sector they will start to understand the problems facing landlords.
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 2
10:19 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
Hopefully they’ll become less critical of landlords in general once they start to see exactly how some tenants treat our properties and how much it actually costs to keep the homes in good condition. By the time they pay the mortgages, salaries and repairs it’ll be interesting to see how low their rents actually are.
Member Since November 2022 - Comments: 68
10:31 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
I’d love to see the business model that keeps them solvent.
Who is paying for this btw?
Just donators? Or will they be back-stopped by .gov?
But we pay .gov for UC already, so why pay twice?
Maybe we could get a cut in our taxes so only charities create social housing?
How is lloyds assessing the viability of their lending?
Sounds like corporate Marxism to me.
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1310 - Articles: 10
10:52 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
While I welcome Crisis becoming landlords and offering properties to tenants directly (as indeed I would Shelter and Generation Rent), it appears that this is being set up with funding donated by Lloyds (as well as lending arrangements). While this is all well and good, it skews the realities of operating as a private landlord, as private landlords don’t already have a £66million annual income (as Crisis does), nor do private landlords have additional funding donated by Lloyds.
Possible distortions of viability due to charity funding and tax differences aside, I do welcome Crisis getting some first hand experience of the realities and risks of owning and managing tenancies and meeting the needs of tenants. It will be interesting to see how this progresses in the long term, and whether it could be a viable business model for other tenant groups to adopt.
Member Since November 2019 - Comments: 154
11:17 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
I have just down loaded the CivilPenality Policy PDF
Its 24 Pages of Staggering Fines . They levy £30000 Fine like its a Parking Fine of £60 .
And extra fines among other things if the Tenant has Children , or does not speak English .
Does anyone think there reasonable other than the Government and Councils.
And will Crisis be under the same rules.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1446 - Articles: 1
11:21 AM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
It’s what these charities should be doing instead of lobbying MPs to crucify PRS landlords.
Member Since January 2016 - Comments: 298 - Articles: 1
1:54 PM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
We are a not for profit landlord..
well almost?
Member Since October 2017 - Comments: 105
2:27 PM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by david porter at 20/04/2026 – 13:54
I was thinking there must be quite a few of those – and they still have to pay tax on their no-profit!
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1586
3:00 PM, 20th April 2026, About 2 days ago
I’m found to buy popcorn and watch this story unfold.
I bet Crisis won’t pay as much tax on their rental income as private landlords do.